Nursing Schools Adapt Programs' Foci To Reflect Change in Nursing Workforce

This past weekend, Sarah Bruyn Jones, reporting for The Roanoke Times, discussed the new educational pathways nursing schools in Virginia are creating in order to better prepare their students for the changing role of nurses in the healthcare workforce for the 21st century. The article highlights how some universities are cutting back on their undergraduate programs and emphasizing advanced practices degrees, which aligns with recommendations made in the IOM's Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health report.

Click here to read the article.

Click here to read other blogposts relating to the IOM's report.

Recommendations for Developing Safe Nurse Staffing Models on Inpatient Psychiatric Units Issued by American Psychiatric Nurses Association

This morning, The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) released a position statement on staffing inpatient psychiatric units that calls for the development of new staffing models to promote the optimal use of psychiatric mental health nurses in hospital settings. The position statement, which includes numerous policy recommendations, also suggested that a committee, which includes direct-care RNs and nursing administrators, should develop, implement, and evaluate a staffing plan that considers the multiple variables that affect staffing needs.

Click here to read the press release, via prweb.com.

Click here to read the position statement (PDF).

Click here to read about a recent INQRI funded study that found higher nurse staffing levels in hospitals can reduce rates of infection, improve outcomes for patients.