As Boomers Age, Need for Nurses Increases

Earlier today, the Chicago Sun Times featured an article written by Maria Sonnenberg that outlined how the aging baby boomer population will require more nurses in the health care workforce then ever before. Ms. Sonnenberg focused on how nurses with valuable years of experience can act in mentorship roles for new graduates and facilitate young nurses growth in this ever expanding field.

Click here to read the full article.

Innovative Program Run By Nurses Assist Troubled Teens Graduate High School

Yesterday, Kim Vallez, of local FOX affialiate KASA, detailed a program being conducted at the University of New Mexico Hospital to address low graduation rates among teenagers in high schools in the surrounding area. The program, "Nursing Diversity Pipeline", teaches teenagers from low graduation rate areas the basics of health care including CPR and first aid, as well as educating them about all the different professions that help a hospital run. So far, the program has been rather successful with around 80% of participating teenagers completing the program and graduating high school.

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Nebraska Still Grappling With Nursing Shortage

Last week, Joanne Young, reporting for the Lincoln Journal Star, detailed Nebraska's efforts to reduce nursing shortages that are plaguing 73 of the 93 counties within the state. One of the most pressing issues for the state is the lack of available nurse educators to train and mentor nursing students. Many of the issues Nebraska is experiencing are addressed in the IOM's Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health report, which is also cited in the news article.

Click here to read the full news article.

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

Mentorship Key to Utilizing Best Practices

The Future of Nursing report highlighted the importance of continuing education and mentorship for nurses, so we were pleased to learn about a Transition to Practice study being coordinated through the National Council of State Board of Nursing. The study is aimed at identifying best practices for closing the gap for new nursing graduates as they transition from nursing school to providing care to patients in a complex technical environment.  Newly graduated nurses in the program will work with a mentor during their first six months of employment. The mentors and mentees will both complete training modules and report ongoing progress.

Click here to learn more.

Mentoring Nursing Students: A New Approach For Transitioning Recent College Graduates Into The Work Place

Early this morning, Suzanne Hoholik detailed in The Columbus Dispatch how Ohio is one of three states to be involved in a pilot project that pairs new nurses to mentors in order to reduce high turnover rates and improve patient outcomes. This pilot project was implemented to counter the one in four (25%) of new nurses that leave their jobs within their first year of employment.

Click here to read the article.