How Young Nurses Are Invigorating the Profession

Before we discuss our highlighted news story for today, we would like to thank all of you who attended INQRI's successful National Conference in Washington, DC last Thursday and Friday. We had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel discuss how the important role of nurses in improving the United States health care system post health reform and Dr. Sue Hasmiller highlight the growing influence of the Future of Nursing's: Call For Action in all 50 states. Stay tuned to the blog for further stories and videos from our highly engaging conference.

To that end, Laura Raine, of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, discussed the growing influence of young nurses in both clinical and academic settings. Ms. Raine highlights the story of three local nurses who embody the caring spirit that patients expect of nurses while also excelling at their professional duties.

Click here to read the full story.

Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative (INQRI) National Conference Starts Today`

We are eager with anticipation for the start of our National Conference, which begins at 2pm EST today. For those of you who are unable to attend, you can view the agenda for this event here.

We will be live tweeting as much of the event as possible and highlighting the wonderful keynote speech that Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel has prepared for our conference tomorrow.

Make sure to follow our twitter feed @INQRIProgram for live updates from the meeting and feel free to get in touch with the program if you are interested in receiving a media packet after our conference has concluded.

We look forward to welcoming all of you that will be joining us and sharing the experience via Twitter and our blog for those of you unable to join us.

Nursing Excellence Improves Outcome for High-Risk Infants‎

We are pleased to share with you a recently published study in JAMA conducted by INQRI cohort 2 grantees Dr. Eileen Lake, Dr. Jeannette Rogowski and colleagues, which found hospitals designated by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a "RNE" hospital provide high quality care in three quality measurement areas. These hospitals, who have obtained the "RNE" designation by achieving exemplary practice or leadership in five areas, had significantly better outcomes than hospitals without this designation in rates of hospital infection, severe intraventricular hemorrhage, and death after seven day. Surprisingly, this study found no significant difference in the death rate of low birth weight infants after 28 days of birth between those hospitals with "RNE" designation and those that did not receive this credential.

Click here to read more about this study.

Click here to read the actual study (subscription required). 

No Jobs for 43% of Newly Licensed Nurses Responding to California Statewide Survey

A recent survey conducted by the California Institute for Nursing & Health Care (CINHC) has found that forty-three percent of nurses who obtained their RN license within 18 months. With conflicting reports stating that there is a nursing shortage in the United States, this latest poll is rather troubling for new nursing graduates attempting to break into the field. The CINHC survey found that 92% of nurses polled cited that their lack of experience was the primary reason they were unable to obtain a job. This is a rather complex issue with new nursing graduates unable to obtain a job due to lack of experience, and unable to gain experience due to the lack of entry level positions.

Click here to read the full press release.

UMass Nursing Students Seek to Help the Vulnerable Live Through Emergencies

Last week, Scott Merzbach, Staff Writer for the Daily Hampshire Gazette, detailed how nursing students at the University of Massachusetts are assisting elderly individuals better prepare for emergency situations. The program aims to develop an emergency preparedness plan that could ensure a better municipal response to future crises and also provide information and resources to the elderly and people with mobility limitations and chronic illnesses. The University of Massachusetts School of Nursing initiated this program after hearing complaints from elderly individuals that they lacked proper resources to deal with even a simple crisis, such as losing power for over a 24 hour period.

Click here to read more about this innovative program.

Music in Nursing Homes and Its Positive Effect

We present you with two different news stories today describing the impact that music has on geriatric residents in nursing homes.

The first story, featured on National Public Radio's, All Things Considered, detailed a documentary about the introduction of music to nursing home residents with dementia. Music had a profound effect on the mood and demeanor of these residents and contrary to what some thought would further isolate dementia residents, the personalized music playlists actually increased the social interaction staff had with the residents.

Click here to read more and view a video about this story.

Related to this story, Margaret Gillerman, reporting for STLToday.com, discussed a student project titled, "Smiles with Music". The program, which enlists teen volunteers to bring music to nursing homes and hospice care, has been viewed as a great success by nursing home residents and their family members. Family members have witnessed the positive effects of the students' visits and in doing so, have created a program for other students to participate in.

Click here to read more about the "Smiles with Music" program.

60th National Student Nurses Association Convention's Keynote Speech Focused on Closing the Nurse Safety Gap

Last week, the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) convened for their 60th anniversary conference in Pittsburgh, PA. Mary Foley, PhD, RN, director at the Center for Nursing Research and Innovation at the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing and a past American Nurses Association president, served as the keynote speaker and addressed the issue of nurse safety to the many future and currnet nurses in attendance. While nurse safety has always been an issue in the health care sector, Dr. Foley told the attendees that there is little work actually being accomplished on the ground for nurse safety to improve. Dr. Foley also promoted her work with the safety group, Safe in Common, which just launched a new Needlestick Safety Advocacy national tour and education campaign.

Click here to read HealthLeadersMedia coverage of the conference, which also includes a short interview with Dr. Foley (on pages 2 & 3).

New Nursing Graduates Cost More to Hire, May Struggle to Find Jobs

Yesterday, Fantasi Pridgon, reporting for The Rebel Bell (a student run newspaper at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas), cited the latest Nevada Health Care Quality Report that indicated that new nursing graduates are having difficult finding positions in acute care facilities. This is a result of the time and effort acute care facilities must invest in new nursing graduates as they take time to acclimate to a new working environment. In a time where hospitals are having numerous budgetary issues, this report does not bode well for new nursing graduates who are seeking employment in this specific sector of health care.

What are your thoughts or experiences with new nursing graduates at your workplace?

Click here to read the full article.

Men Shoring Up Nursing Shortage in Female Dominated Career

Following up on previous posts (covered here and here), Barry Carpenter, of CW33 in Dallas, TX, discussed how a greater number of men then ever are now entering the nursing workforce as their second career. Mr. Carpenter emphasized how men initially trained in the business, accounting or physical labor field are now looking toward the nursing sector for job security and a position that benefits them both financially and personally.

Click here to read the full article.

Two Upcoming Webinars Addressing Recommendations Made in the IOM's Future of Nursing Report

We are pleased to announce two upcoming webinars that are part of our ongoing series addressing recommendations made in the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.

The INQRI program is pleased co-host the fourth webinar in our series focused on this groundbreaking report with the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action. The campaign is coordinated through the Center to Champion Nursing in America, an initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and includes 48 state Action Coalitions and a wide range of health care providers, consumer advocates, policy-makers and the business, academic and philanthropic communities. The webinar, "Removing Barriers to APRN Practice and Care: The Consumer Perspective" will feature Barbara Safriet, JD, LLM, Associate Dean and Lecturer, at Yale Law School.

The webinar will take place on May 8, 2012 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm ET

Click here to let us know you will attend

To join the webinar you must access both the Audio and Visual components
Audio: 1-866-395-0929
Visual: http://bit.ly/HDMJUc

Click here to let us know you will attend

Our second webinar, "Creating Partnerships to Build a Culture for Professional Growth", will feature Teresa Wehrwein PhD, RN, Associate Dean for Academic and Clinical Affairs Michigan State University College of Nursing, and Kathleen Kessler, MSN, RN – Director of Professional Partnerships Michigan State University College of Nursing.

This webinar will take place on May 17, 1:00pm EST.

Click here to register for the webinar.

First Lady, Michelle Obama and Second Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, Announce Nursing Intiative To Improve Treatment of PTSD

Yesterday, the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing was honored to host Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. The First and Second Ladies of the United States announced an expansion of their Joint Forces initiative, which was celebrating it's one year anniversary yesterday, that included 150 nursing organizations and 450 nursing schools pledging to train current and future nurses to treat soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental issues that plague military families. Previously, education on post-traumatic stress disorder was only part of specialized nursing curriculum but with this new initiative, training and education on this issue will be expanded into standard nurse education.

Click here to read more about this announcement by the First and Second Ladies of the United States.

For those of you looking for a little humor, Stephen Colbert also hosted Michelle Obama on his show last night where she spoke about the Joining Forces Initiative. You can see both parts of the interview here: Part 1 Part 2.

Upcoming IHI Seminar: Rethinking Critical Care: Reducing Patient Harm from Sedation, Immobility, and Delirium

On May 15th and 16th, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement will be hosting a symposium in San Diego, CA addressing critical care and cutting edge ICU practices aimed at improving care for elderly patients. The symposium will specifically focus on innovative ways for health care practitioners to monitor patient sedation, immobility, and delirium. Since these areas of care are strong predictors of length of stay, increased morbidity and mortality, long-term cognitive impairment, and high cost of care, this symposium offers a great way for health care practitioners to expand their skill-set and improve the quality of care they deliver.

Click here to read more about this upcoming symposium.

The New Face of Health Care: Why Nurses Are in Such High Demand

Last week, Christine Mackey-Ross, reporting for The Atlantic, detailed how nurses are taking a leading role in the formation and implementation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). This new delivery method is being heralded as a way to bend the cost curve while also providing higher quality care than previously delivered. Ms. Mackey-Ross also highlights the growing role for nurse executives who utilize their clinical expertise to help prepare their respective ACO as this new model of care is fully integrated.

Click here to read the full article.

Six Stories on Preventable Readmissions

Last week, Jaimie Oh, of Becker's Hospital Review, highlighted six recent initiatives by health care organizations around the country aimed at reducing preventable readmissions. The intiatives range from home visits by nurses, social workers and pharmecists to interventions specifically focused on the pediatric population.

Click here to read the six stories on how health care organizations are focusing on preventable readmissions.

Nurses, Physicians Hold Joint Symposium on Team-Based Care

Last week, nurses and physicians collaborated to host a joint symposium at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session on ways that healthcare providers can use a team-based approach to improve patient outcomes. This was the first time that the American College of Cardiology had collaborated with a nursing organization and the symposium was viewed as a great success. Members from the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) greatly contributed to the success of this symposium which we hope will continue annually.

Click here to read an interview with Suzanne Hughes, clinical education project director for the PCNA, on how this partnership and the symposium was successful.

INQRI Program Co-Director Interviewed for Last Month's Women's History Month

Yesterday, Stephanie Bouchard, Associate Editor for healthcarefinancenews.com, published her interview with INQRI's Co-Director Dr. Mary Naylor that discussed the role of women in healthcare. The interview provides great insight of Dr. Naylor's views on women leaders, decision makers and their continued role in improving the United States' health care system.

Click here to read the full interview.

Nurse Staffing Mandates Debated at Hospitals

Over the weekend, Ben Sutherly, staff writer for the Dayton Daily News, reported on the different viewpoints hospital administrators and nurses have on nurse staffing mandates in the state of Ohio and around the country. Mr. Sutherly cites the work of renowned nursing workforce scholar and INQRI NAC member, Linda Aiken, to support the argument that nurse staffing levels should be mandated at the state level. Dr. Aiken's research found that there would be 14% fewer surgical deaths in Pennsylvania if the state were to adopt nurse staffing mandates that are similar to those in California, the only state that has mandated nurse-to-patient ratios. However, Mr. Sutherly also presents the case for hospitals as they argue that the quality of the health care workforce is much more important than having a minimum nurse-to-patient ratio in order to provide the highest quality of care.

Click here to read the whole article.

Click here to read more blogposts relating to nurse staffing.

Expanding Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice Is Not Limited to Just the United States

Over the weekend, Cory Hurley, reporting for The Western Star, detailed the continued progress of the Canadian Nurses Association campaign to raise awareness about how nurse practitioners can improve access to quality health care and reduce wait times. With long wait times being one of the most significant issues of the Canadian healthcare system, nurse practitioners can serve an integral role in meeting the needs of Canadian citizens throughout the 21st century.

Click here to read the full article.

Click here to read other blogposts relating to scope of practice.