Member
Recruiters Eligible for Rewards
New Campaign Under Way
AACN's Critical
Links member recruitment campaign entered a
new year May 1 as results of the 2003-04
campaign were tallied. (Final results will
appear in the June 2004 issue of AACN News.)
The new drive,
which ends March 31, 2005, again offers
valuable rewards to the hundreds of
individual and chapter recruiters
traditionally participating, including a
$1,000 American Express gift check that will
go to the top recruiter.
However, every
participant is a winner. Anyone who recruits
just one new member receives an AACN
clinical or practice-related gift. But
that's not all.
For every five
new members recruited, participants receive
a $25 gift certificate toward the purchase
of AACN products or services. In addition,
they are eligible for a drawing for a $100
American Express gift check in each month
that they recruit a new member, as well as
for three grand prizes of a $500 American
gift check that will be drawn at the end of
the campaign. Participants who recruit five
or more new members will be entered three
times.
Chapters are
also eligible for prizes, including one
complimentary NTI registration to be drawn
each month. In addition, the chapters with
the largest increase in membership and with
the largest percentage increase in members
during the campaign receive $250 gift
certificates toward the purchase of AACN
products or services, as well as a
recognition certificate.
To qualify for
the prizes and drawings, new members must
include the recruiter's name and chapter,
when applicable, on the �referred by� line
of the application.
To obtain
membership application materials, call (800)
899-2226 and request Product #1316.
Critical
Care Societies Promote �The Power of You'
Letter-Writing Campaign
Join your
colleagues May 17 through 19, during
National Critical Care Awareness and
Recognition Month, to educate Congress on
the growing critical care workforce shortage
and its implications for the future. AACN
and three other critical care professional
societies�American College of Chest
Physicians, American Thoracic Society and
Society of Critical Care Medicine�are
partnering on a letter-writing campaign that
outlines the crisis and calls for federal
action. Through this effort, our collective
concerns can be heard as one voice.
May 17 through
19, you can contact your congressional
representatives through AACN's Legislative
Action Center advocacy Web site and ask them
to work with us. Letters will be available
for you to sign and send electronically, or
you can draft your own letter to express
your concerns. Through this collective
effort, critical care professionals can
prompt health policy discussions to ensure
the best critical care medicine for the
future.
Nominations Invited for National Leadership
Posts
Do you want to
help lead AACN in achieving its mission and
vision or do you know someone you think
would provide strong and effective
leadership?
Consider the
national leadership positions that are
available on the AACN Board of Directors,
AACN Certification Corporation Board of
Directors and the AACN Nominating Committee.
Terms begin July 1, 2005.
Simply complete
the nomination form that appears in the
center of this issue of AACN News or that is
available online at www.aacn.org >
Nominations. The AACN Leadership Framework
is also available online.
Following are
the positions for which nominations are
being sought. Reimbursement for travel as
well as other expenses are provided for all
of these national volunteer positions.
Nominations close June 11.
AACN Board of
Directors
(4 positions
open, 3-year terms)
Accountabilities:
� Establish the
vision, mission and values statements for
the association
� Ensure
effective organizational planning
� Effectively
manage the association's resources
� Determine,
monitor and strengthen the association's
programs and services.
� Uphold legal
requirements and ethical integrity
� Recruit and
orient new board members and assess board
performance
� Ensure
effective communication between AACN and
AACN Certification Corporation and other
subsidiaries of the association
Qualifications:
� Active
membership in AACN
� Active
commitment to and understanding of AACN and
its mission, vision and values
� Demonstrated
leadership skills as defined in the AACN
Leadership Framework
AACN
Nominating Committee
(3 positions
open, 1-year terms)
Accountabilities:
� Ensure the
election process is in accordance with
established procedures, policies and bylaws
� Conduct
comprehensive interviews of nominees
� Review,
synthesize and analyze nominee applications,
references and interview transcripts
� Through group
process, select candidates
� Communicate
the committee's decisions and feedback to
the nominees
AACN
Certification Corporation
Director
(3 positions
open, 3-Year Terms)
A director
actively participates in governance to
ensure the corporation's financial viability
and growth; evaluate organizational outcomes
based on established priorities and action
plans; monitors the impact of corporation
initiatives on patient care and healthcare
delivery systems; articulates positions and
policies to key stakeholders; and ensures a
successful relationship between AACN and
AACN Certification Corporation. Nominations
for both nurse leaders and consumer
representatives are being accepted for these
positions.
For more
information about the Call for Nominations,
call (800) 394-5995, ext. 331, or visit our
website.
AACN
Nomination Process Offers Lasting Rewards
By Lt. Cmdr.
John Whitcomb, RN, MSN, CCRN
United States
Navy Nurse Corps
AACN
Nominating Committee
When you
nominate someone or someone nominates you
for an AACN national office, it speaks
volumes about what that individual
represents and the potential you see in
them. Having your name put forward gives you
a sense of pride and exhilaration. It is
personal recognition for the countless hours
that have had an impact and made a lasting
impression.
However, I get
more satisfaction from nominating colleagues
for awards, positions or special projects
than when I myself am nominated. Nominating
is a way I can express my gratitude for
their commitment and dedication to the
profession of critical care nursing.
When I was
nominated for the AACN Nominating Committee,
I was surprised and honored to be part of an
organization that truly makes every effort
to recognize its members. I was also touched
that my colleagues saw in me something that
was special and meaningful, and that I had
something to give to AACN.
As if being
nominated wasn't enough of an honor, being
elected was an experience I will always
treasure.
Are you
wondering what the �secret code� to being in
a leadership position within AACN is? I can
give you the password: nomination. That
means nominating someone you see as a leader
with a �bold voice,� who is �rising above�
others in his or her commitment to critical
care nursing. That person could be you or
someone you work with on a daily basis.
Although being
nominated is an honor in other
organizations, it is an even more special
process in AACN. It sends a message that the
individual exhibits the values of AACN,
which include being an advocate, acting with
integrity, collaborating, providing
leadership, demonstrating stewardship,
embracing lifelong learning, committing to
quality, promoting innovation and generating
commitment. Do you work with someone who
exhibits these qualities? Take the next step
and submit a nomination!
Nominations are
now being accepted for positions on the AACN
Board of Directors, AACN Nominating
Committee and AACN Certification Corporation
Board of Directors. The Nomination Form is
inserted into this issue of AACN News and is
also available online at www.aacn.org >
Nominations. The deadline to submit
nominations is June 11.
These positions
are all important to the growth of the
organization and to the individual being
nominated. I assure you that, if you take
the time to complete the paperwork, you will
not regret it. Nominating colleagues is a
gratifying experience that lets them know
they are special, that they are recognized
and that they do make a difference.
Be a Part
of the Circle of Excellence
Annual Award Nominations Due July 15
July 15 is the
deadline to nominate yourself or a colleague
for an AACN Circle of Excellence Award for
2005. The recipients will be recognized at
AACN's National Teaching Institute and
Critical Care Exposition, May 7 through 12,
2005, in New Orleans, La. In addition, all
recipients are presented a personalized
plaque. Some also receive honorariums,
monetary awards or complimentary
registration, airfare and accommodations to
the NTI.
Following is
brief information about these awards. To
obtain a Circle of Excellence awards
application, call (800) 899-2226 or visit
the AACN Web site.
Baxter
Excellence in Patient Safety
Sponsored by
Baxter Healthcare, this new award will
recognize patient-care teams that have made
significant contributions toward patient and
caregiver safety in acute and critical care.
Recipients will describe innovative
approaches used to develop new and revised
processes that encompass safety and improve
the quality of care at the unit, hospital or
health system level. They will show clear
evidence of active collaboration among team
members validating their success by
presenting evidence-based outcomes.
AACN Value of
Certification Award
Sponsored by
AACN Certification Corporation, this award
recognizes contributions that support and
foster the advancement of certified nursing
practice in critical care. Recipients are
also presented a $500 honorarium.
Excellence in
Caring Practices Award
Presented in
honor of John Wilson Rodgers, this award
recognizes nurses whose caring practices
embody AACN's vision of a healthcare system
driven by the needs of patients and
families. Recipients demonstrate how they
have encompassed AACN's values and ethic of
care in their practice.
3M Health
Care Excellence in Clinical Practice Award
Sponsored by 3M
Health Care, this award recognizes acute and
critical care nurses who embody, exemplify
and excel at the clinical skills and
principles that are required in their
practice.
Excellence in
Clinical Practice�Non-Traditional Setting
This award is
designed to recognize excellence in the care
of critically ill patients in environments
outside of the traditional ICU/CCU setting.
Eligible applicants include, but are not
limited to, nurses working in home
healthcare, progressive care, telemetry,
catheterization labs and emergency
departments.
Excellent
Clinical Nurse Specialist Award
This award
recognizes acute and critical care nurses
who function as clinical nurse specialists.
Applicants must be CCNS certified and, in
addition to demonstrating the key components
of advanced practice nursing, illustrate how
they have been a catalyst for successful
change.
Excellent
Nurse Practitioner Award
This award
recognizes acute and critical care nurses
who function as nurse practitioners.
Applicants must be ACNP certified. In
addition to demonstrating the key components
of advanced practice nursing, recipients
illustrate how they have served as a
catalyst for successful change.
Excellent
Nursing Student Award
This award
recognizes nursing students whose activities
during nursing school have promoted the
value of nursing and reflect the AACN vision
of creating a healthcare system driven by
the needs of patients and families, where
critical care nurses can make their optimal
contribution. Individual students or groups
of students are eligible to apply.
Recipients receive a complimentary
three-year AACN membership.
Excellence in
Research Award
This award
recognizes nurse researchers who are
furthering the mission, vision and research
priorities of AACN. Recipients of AACN
research grants or NTI research abstract
award recipients are not eligible for this
award.
Research
Abstract Award
This award
recognizes research abstracts that display
outstanding merit and particular relevance
to critical care nursing. Recipients are
selected from among the research and
research utilization abstracts submitted for
the NTI. Abstract submissions must be
received by Sept. 1. Successful applicants
receive $1,000 toward NTI expenses.
Mentoring
Award
This award
recognizes individuals or groups who develop
and enhance another's intellectual and
technical skills, acculturating them to the
professional community, and modeling a way
of life and professional achievement.
Excellent
Nurse Manager Award
This award
recognizes nurse managers who demonstrate
excellence in coordination of available
resources to efficiently and effectively
care for acutely or critically ill patients
and their families.
Eli Lilly &
Company Excellent Preceptor Award
Sponsored by Eli
Lilly & Company, this award recognizes
preceptors who demonstrate the key
components of the preceptor role, including
teacher, clinical role model, consultant and
friend/advocate.
Excellence in
Leadership Award
This award
recognizes nurses who demonstrate the
leadership competencies of empowerment,
effective communication and continuous
learning, and the effective management of
change.
Excellence in
Education Award
This award
recognizes nurse educators who facilitate
the acquisition and advancement of the
knowledge and skills required for competent
practice and positive patient outcomes in
the care of acutely and critically ill
patients and their families.
Marsh-AACN
Community Service Award
Cosponsored by
Marsh Affinity Group Services, a service of
Seabury and Smith, this award recognizes
significant service by acute and critical
care nurses, as individuals or in groups, in
making a contribution to their communities
that also projects a positive image of
critical care nursing. Individuals or groups
selected for this award may choose to
receive either one complimentary NTI
registration or up to $500 toward speaker
fees for an educational symposium.
Datascope
Excellence in Collaboration Awards
Sponsored by
Datascope, these awards honor innovative
contributions to collaborative practice by
nurses who care for acutely and critically
ill patients and their families. At least
one of the collaborators must be an active
AACN member. Each recipient is also
presented a $1,500 honorarium. Applications
are accepted in four categories:
�
Nurse-Physician Collaboration
�
Nurse-Administration Collaboration
� Nurse-Family
Collaboration
�
Multidisciplinary Team Collaboration
Media Award
This award
recognizes broadcast and Web-based media
excellence in the portrayal of healthcare
providers, especially acute and critical
care nurses, contributing to a healthcare
system driven by the needs of patients and
families. Successful entries present
relevant nursing and healthcare topics to
large audiences of consumers, including the
general public, patients and families.
In the
Circle
Award
Recognizes Outstanding Mentors
Editor's
note: The AACN Mentoring Award recognizes
individuals or groups who develop and
enhance another's intellectual and technical
skills, acculturating them to the
professional community, and modeling a way
of life and professional achievement.
Nominations for this award as part of AACN's
Circle of Excellence recognition program for
2005 are due July 15. Following are excerpts
from exemplars submitted in connection with
the program for 2003.
Traci Hoiting,
RN, MS, CCRN, ACNP, BC
Portland,
Ore.
Providence
St. Vincent Medical Center
In both her
personal and professional life, Traci walks
the vision the rest of us wish to see in
others and ourselves.
She has been a
mentor to me from her role as a charge nurse
to her current position as director of
nursing quality and education. I have seen
her tireless, unwavering commitment to her
own academic pursuits while balancing a busy
work and family life.
Having the
opportunity to see someone accomplish their
dreams and maintain a steadfast commitment
to the critical care nursing community is
the greatest gift of hope that we have.
Watching and learning how Traci handles
failures as well as how she celebrates
successes is one of the greatest gifts of a
mentor.
I am fortunate
to be guided by Traci in a way that has
given me strength and wisdom that is
something that I can now model for others.
Traci embodies
the vision that AACN has for mentors. She
actually lives the vision of AACN. She
models the core values of our organization,
and her recognition as a mentor is
confirmation that integrity, compassion and
excellence are the hallmarks of nursing.
Kathleen J.
King, RN, ARNP, MSN, CCRN
Deerfield
Beach, Fla.
North Broward
Hospital District
Broward
Community College
The Circle of
Excellence Awards program prompted me to
reflect on my nursing career and how I had
found my career path, from a busy
psychiatric office and attending nursing
school to my current position as a clinical
nurse specialist in emergency and pediatric
intensive care. I quickly realized that key
to my success is the mentoring relationship
I have with Kathy King.
Through
ventilator weaning rounds, Kathy taught me
the true meaning of a nursing plan of care,
evidence-based practice, incorporating
creativity into clinical practice and
encouraging me to pursue a graduate degree
in nursing. She takes a positive approach to
patient care problems, and her attitude as
an eternal optimist is contagious.
I saw Kathy
intermittently for several years and was
always amazed that, during any interaction
with her, I came away with new insight about
nursing, clinical practice, research or
professionalism.
My desire to
seek the position in the pediatric ICU was
because of my admiration for Kathy. Her
ability to positively influence care, work
collaboratively and increase nursing
knowledge was inspirational to me. I wanted
the opportunity to reach her nursing
practice level.
Kathy is always
open with me, imparting expertise and
looking at care problems in a broad and
objective manner. Through her guidance, I
feel prepared to begin passing her legacy on
to others, mentoring new CNSs and graduate
nurses and following in my mentor's
footsteps.
Bette Jean
Johnson, RN, CCRN
Madison, S.D.
Bethel
Lutheran Home
Bette has always
been involved in fostering professional
improvement. Active on multiple hospital
committees, her mindset was that, if you
didn't want to become involved in
facilitating change, you had no right to
complain.
After working
with Bette for about a year, she began to
encourage me to become more professionally
active, both in the hospital and in AACN.
So, I joined the Unit Nurse Governance
Council, which led me to the hospital NCG,
where I served as a member for two years,
then vice chair and chair of the council. I
also began to actively participate in the
local chapter of AACN by committing to
attend the monthly meetings and educational
programs. I transitioned to program chair
and joined the workshop committee before
serving as vice president and then
president.
Bette has been
very influential in my professional life.
She has encouraged me to do everything that
has been important in my career.
Shirlien
Metersky, RN, MSN, CCRN
Worthington,
Ohio
Grant Medical
Center
A critical care
nurse for 22 years, Shirlien exemplifies the
role of a mentor through her support of
physicians, nurses, multidisciplinary staff
and patients.
When I accepted
the position as clinical outcomes manager,
Shirlien took the time to share her
knowledge and experience in the position
with me while she transitioned into the CCU
educator role. Without overshadowing my
thoughts or ideas, she provided guidance and
direction while teaching me how to process
and interpret things differently.
In her role as
CCU educator, Shirlien strives to create a
best practice environment through
research-based initiatives. She offers
information without question or judgment of
one's thought process and understands that
increasing staff knowledge improves quality
of care and patient outcomes. Shirlien is
dedicated to supporting nursing staff in
their professional growth, coaching them to
submit and present poster abstracts.
As president of
the Central Ohio Chapter of AACN, Shirlien
encourages nurses to join national and local
nursing organizations. Through her
inspiration, I joined the national and local
chapter and became secretary-elect. Shirlien
continues to be a mentor, guiding me along
with other board members in our new roles.
Through her vision, Shirlien has helped to
reenergize the chapter, making it stronger
and more enduring.
A mentor leads
by example, motivating individuals to meet
personal and professional goals, despite
obstacles in their quest for success.
Shirlien demonstrates the ability to develop
and enhance others' knowledge and skill
through her encouragement of the staff as
they reach for higher levels of achievement.
In the
Circle
Award
Honors Excellent Preceptor
Editor's
note: Sponsored by Eli Lilly & Company, this
award recognizes preceptors who demonstrate
the key components of the preceptor role
including teacher, clinical role model,
consultant and friend/advocate. This award
is part of AACN's Circle of Excellence
recognition program. Nominations for this
award for 2005 are due July 15. Following
are excerpts submitted in connection with
this award for 2003.
Corinne
�Cory� M. Miller, RN, BSN
Raleigh, N.C.
Duke
University Medical Center
I have spent the
last 15 of my 18 years as a nurse in a
cardiac ICU at a teaching hospital.
Throughout my career, a major source of
satisfaction has been precepting students.
As a new graduate I had a preceptor who
seemed determined to break my spirit and
show me just how little I knew. At that
point I became determined to combine my love
of teaching and my passion for nursing into
a mission: to foster a sense of healthy
curiosity and learning that is unencumbered
by fear or unfounded criticism for all
students under my tutelage.
Each spring I
work with senior nursing students. I try to
teach my students more than just a set of
technical skills. I aim to instill in them
the essence of nursing, what makes our
profession unique and important. Along with
the standard goals of learning medications,
assessment and technical skills, I emphasize
the equally important goals of talking to
patients and families about tough issues,
being a patient advocate, and communicating
effectively with the healthcare team.
I have designed
a clinical rotation for my students that
starts with caring for stable patients, then
moving to stable-critical patients, critical
patients and, finally, back to stable
patients. This way, students can �put it all
together� and be relatively autonomous in
their care at the end of the rotation. I
teach by asking questions and encouraging
the students to ask questions, often
incorporating humor to dispel any anxiety.
I am energized
by my students. They challenge me to rethink
the �whys� of my actions and inspire me with
their fresh and inquisitive spirits. The
relationships that were built through these
interactions have spurred and motivated me
to continue with my passions�nursing and
teaching.
Eileen E.
Pysznik, RN, BS, CCRN
Monson, Mass.
Baystate
Medical Center
Near the end of
Helen's orientation, we admitted Mr. B., an
84-year-old man who had recently undergone a
bowel resection for cancer and was
recovering on a surgical floor. He presented
with poor color, no capillary refill and a
grossly protruding abdomen, and was
unconscious and breathing ineffectively. The
surgical team arrived as we verified that
Mr. B's systolic blood pressure was 40. In
rapid succession, Mr. B. had warmed IV
fluids running wide open, was intubated and
placed on a ventilator, had Levophed rapidly
titrated without improvement, and had an
epinephrine drip started. While an arterial
line and a pulmonary artery catheter were
being placed simultaneously and labs were
being sent, Mr. B's surgeon arrived and
removed the staples from his midline
abdominal incision. The incision opened
wide, and a large amount of liquid stool
poured out. While we suctioned and contained
the stool to prevent contamination of the
femoral lines, the surgeon arranged for the
operating room to take Mr. B. as an
emergency case. Forty-five minutes after
arriving in ICU, Mr. B. was transported to
the OR with a systolic blood pressure in the
40s.
During this ICU
course, the charge nurse, Helen, and I
performed as a well-coordinated team. Helen
had previously had experience cautiously
titrating vasopressors. Now, we collaborated
to titrate the Levophed and epinephrine in a
manner more appropriate to this situation.
When Helen and I
returned from the OR, we spent time talking
with the family. Then, Helen and I had time
to review everything that had happened,
stressing the importance of teamwork and not
forgetting about the patient's family. Helen
felt that it had been a great learning
experience.
Rising
Above
Rethink
Recruitment and Retention Strategies for
Critical Care
By Nancy
Blake, RN, MN, CCRN, CNAA, Dave Hanson, RN,
MSN, CCRN, EMT-P, and Susan Yeager, RN, MS,
CCRN, ACNP
AACN Board of
Directors
With the nursing
shortage looming large, attempts to optimize
recruitment and retention strategies are a
priority for every organization. Today, this
means that the needs of four distinct
generations of employees must be weighed.
Understanding the influences on each of
these generations can help focus and
optimize strategies to attract and retain
nurses.
The
Traditionalists
The Silent
Generation, Veterans and Traditionalists are
terms used to describe the 75 million people
born between 1900 and 1945. Children of the
Great Depression and World War II, this
generation is known for strong traditional
values of God, family and country. Their
foundation of loyalty supports respect for
authority, organizational structure, hard
work and longevity at one workplace.
Recruitment and
retention strategies for this group revolve
around respecting the historical perspective
and the political savviness these members
bring to the organizational culture. Tapping
into the brain trust of this generation by
placing them in mentoring opportunities will
entice this group to continue to make their
maximum contribution. Acknowledgement for
years of service, personal communication and
flexibility in their work schedule, as well
as financial acknowledgement, will provide a
significant source of motivation for this
particular generation as they transition
into retirement years.
Baby Boomers
As
Traditionalists approach retirement, Baby
Boomers move into supervisory roles.
Encompassing those born between 1946 and
1964, this is the largest generation at 80
million. Growing up during a period of
economic growth, prosperity, Vietnam,
women's liberation and the civil rights
movement, this generation values personal
gratification and material wealth, and they
are optimistic regarding their ability to
impact the world. These nurses are
accustomed to working long hours to define
themselves and to outshine their
counterparts to get ahead in the workplace.
Loyalty, dues paying and challenging the
status quo are their means to move up the
institutional ladder. Torn between their
work ethic and familial obligations, they
value an environment that recognizes their
individual contributions while providing the
flexibility necessary for them to juggle
commitments. Managers who address them as
peers and situations that provide individual
acknowledgment are strong incentives for
this group. Daily reminders of the impact
their work has on the lives of patients and
families will continue to drive this
workforce into action.
Generation X
With the advent
of women in the workplace, the 46 million
Generation X or Baby Busters born between
1965 and 1980 became known as latchkey kids.
Personal computers, single-parent homes and
Watergate provided the foundation for this
generation. Generation X values diversity,
life balance and self-reliance while being
distrustful of authority. Viewing work as a
means to an end, this generation will likely
hold multiple jobs during their career. An
environment that provides them the
opportunity to learn and grow their skills
in a fun and flexible surrounding is likely
to keep them grounded within the
organization. Born in a technological boom,
this group expects cutting-edge devices to
support work and to supply immediate
gratification. Building consensus in goal
setting is important, but autonomy
throughout the implementation process is key
to this generation. This group will commit,
provided there is a respect for diversity,
and for coaching and career development
opportunities.
Generation Y
The 76 million
Nexters, Generation Y or Millennials born
between 1980 and 2000 are considered by some
to encompass the best of Boomer and
Generation X qualities. Molded by
technological advances and media, Nexters
have been described as self-reliant,
family-oriented, mobile and fun loving.
Because of their command of technology,
their world is without walls. Instant
results, diversity and networking with a
team to better the world are all patterns of
thinking ingrained in this generation. The
draw of this generation is evolving, but is
thought to encompass the concepts of
technology, flexibility, work/life balance,
teamwork, fun and mentoring relationships.
Anticipating the
retirement of Boomers and Traditionalists,
hospitals across the country are responding
with creative and innovative approaches to
recruitment and retention. Appreciating that
the younger generation of nurses will have
many job opportunities and are impatient for
instant results, innovative ways are now
necessary in order to draw nurses to their
organizations. John Peter Smith Hospital,
Fort Worth, Texas, is among those leading
the way.
Virtual
Recruitment
As are other
healthcare organizations, this 429-bed Level
II trauma center has faced challenges in
filling vacant nursing positions. This
crisis peaked in winter 2002, when the nurse
vacancy rate in the JPS Health Network
reached 17%. At the time, the application
process could have lasted months while
managers waited for qualified applications,
sifted through r�sum�s, interviewed
interested applicants and waited for offers
to be accepted.
To improve the
application process, nurse executives
decided to implement a focused strategic
plan with the potential to recruit nurses
from anywhere, anytime of the day or night.
In February 2003, the organization
officially launched an online virtual tour
of the nursing division. Appreciating that
nurses today live in a world without walls,
the goal of this technology is to
synergistically reach out to Web site
visitors, influence them to apply and
successfully recruit them into the JPS
system. By implementing easy access and
navigation, virtual tours of each unit,
online applications and interactive
opportunities between applicants and
managers, this tool has enabled nurses from
Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida,
Hawaii, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and
Utah to become a vital part of the JPS
system. By �rising above� to see new
possibilities, JPS has seen a 63% increase
in online nursing applicants and reduced the
hiring time to between 14 and 17 days. These
efforts have resulted in a subsequent drop
in the nurse vacancy rate to 5.9%, which is
currently 3% below the local market.
Partnering
With Education
Having enough
nurses to fill vacancies is not just limited
by a nurse's awareness of his or her own
organization. As long as we have a shortage
of faculty members, the nursing shortage is
going to prevail.
Recognizing the
need for a multipronged approach to
alleviating the deficit, JPS has focused on
treating another cause of the shortage, not
just the symptom. The result is the Clinical
Faculty Loan Program through which a
qualified nurse is loaned to a school of
nursing in the area. This nurse serves as a
clinical instructor at the hospital to teach
the clinical component of the nursing
curriculum.
As a direct
result of this creative partnership, 20
additional nursing students can be accepted
into the nursing program without increasing
costs to the school. This retention strategy
has given JPS access to additional students
for possible recruitment, which has the
potential to save the organization money not
only in recruitment, but also in decreased
orientation time for new nurses.
RN Residency
Another example
of how an organization is �rising above� to
recruit and retain the younger generation is
the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles RN
Residency Program.
Prompted in 1998
by the dwindling availability of experienced
nurses, a graduate nurse turnover statistic
of 36% at 12 months and a 24-month attrition
rate of 56%, the institution began exploring
a different means to attract and train their
nurses. Through extensive analysis, the
leadership team came to appreciate its
failure in realizing the unique needs of the
new generation of graduate nurses and the
lack of understanding related to what should
be taught to stimulate and support the new
nurse orientee.
In response, the
RN Residency Program was established.
Applying the concepts of Patricia Benner's
novice-to-expert model and lifelong
learning, a comprehensive, 22-week program
evolved over a five-year period. Curriculum
development was accomplished under the
guidance of a newly formed task force,
composed of experts both in pediatrics and
education. The group, led by vision and
financial champion Mary Dee Hacker, RN, MBA,
was armed with the goals of transitioning
newly graduated RNs, facilitating safe,
competent care, and enhancing commitment and
retention within the organization.
Incorporating this group's expertise into
Hacker's vision of creating strong care
providers by educating the workforce, a job
analysis tool was created. The focus was to
identify the knowledge base, duties and
tasks each RN needed. After sifting through
the data, an outline of the program evolved.
Currently the RN Residency Program consists
of the following components: classroom and
skills, professional development with
mentoring and debriefing services, and 650
hours of guided clinical hours among a
variety of patient populations and nursing
units.
The curriculum
development portion of the job analysis was
used to refine program content. Teaching
focused on identified key components for the
200 hours of classroom and skill time,
allowing instructors to focus on the
important aspects of learning. Appreciating
the desire for younger generations of nurses
to refine their skill sets, professional
development classes, including communication
and conflict resolution, have subsequently
been added to the clinical content. The
mentor program allows the residents to work
with a mentor who is outside their
management core group. Debriefing sessions
also assist in supporting the residents.
These sessions, which are facilitated by an
experienced social worker and noninvolved
manager, provide an opportunity for
residents to discuss their orientation in a
safe, supportive environment. The mentoring
portion, as well as the debriefing sessions,
support the concept of a unified team
committed to learning. This social concept
has been shown to be highly important to
younger generations.
The program has
proven to be successful, with a turnover
rate reduction in the first 12 months from
36% to 11% and after the second 12 months
from 56% to 22%. The program's success has
been a model for implementation at three
additional children's hospitals, Loma Linda,
San Diego and Childrens Hospital of Orange.
Similar recruitment and retention successes
have been realized in these organizations.
After five years
and $9 million in research and clinical
testing, the RN Residency Program is taking
off in other areas of the country. It has
graduated more than 500 pediatric nurse
residents and is expected to save an
estimated $15 million in the future. The
latest addition to the program is the
state-of-the-art Web portal. Recognizing the
need for immediate results and cutting-edge
technology for newer generations, this
portal will allow for fast access to
content, curriculum standardization,
competency tracking and reports, and online
program evaluation.
Adapting
Efforts
Because of the
distinct differences among Traditionalists,
Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y,
healthcare organizations across the county
are proactively adapting their recruitment
and retention efforts to meet the needs of a
diverse workforce. Although individual
nurses don't necessarily fit the
stereotypical profiles, knowing the basics
will allow healthcare organizations to �rise
above� and be more nimble in recruiting and
retaining the best of the best.
Bibliography
1. Weston M.
Coaching the generations in the workplace.
Nurs Adm Q. 2001;25(2)11-21.
2. McNeese-Smith
D, Crook M. Nursing values and a changing
nurse workforce: values, age, and job
stages. J Nurs Adm. 2003;33(5) 260-270.
3. Benner P.
From Novice to Expert: Excellence and Power
in Clinical Nursing Practice. Menlo Park,
Calif: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co; 1984.
4. Clausing S,
Kurtz D, Predeville J, Walt J. Generational
diversity-the nexters. AORN J.
2003;78(3):373-380.
5. Lancaster L,
Stillman D. When Generations Collide: Who
They Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve the
Generational Puzzle at Work. New York, NY:
HarperCollins; 2002.
|
Table |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Generation |
Year
|
Influences |
Opportunity |
Motivators for Development
|
Learning
Style |
Silent
Veterans
Traditionalist |
1900-1945 |
Great
Depression
WWII
|
Require
patience related to technologic
introduction, may need one-on-one
rather than group setting related to
skill development , |
Personal
communication, financial
acknowledgment, flexible scheduling,
structure, ability to share
knowledge with less experienced
nurses |
Intimidated by technology, prefer
pencil and paper classroom
techniques |
|
Baby
Boomer |
1946-1964 |
Vietnam,
women's liberation, civil rights
movement, economic prosperity |
Mentoring with technology, patience
with younger generation choices to
change jobs and desire to move
quickly into a career path |
Individual acknowledgement, material
wealth, ability to impact the world,
flexibility |
Focus on
lessons-learned style of case
studies, classroom style learning
with discussion |
Generation X
Baby
Busters |
1965-1980 |
Personal
computers, single-parent homes,
latchkey, Watergate |
May need
guidance when working within the
confines of a group, lack patience
with processes or multiple meetings,
may lack sensitivity related to
older generational lack of
technology expertise, lack of
authority trust, autonomy may be
viewed as aloofness |
Cutting-edge technology, environment
that supports skill set growth and
career
paths,
work/life balance, autonomy in
creative solution development |
Coaching, role play, Interactive
CD-ROM or videotapes |
Nexters
Generation Y
Millennials |
1981-2000 |
Technologic advances, media |
May lack
IPR skills and political savvy, may
need mentoring related to being
patient while learning to navigate
political systems within an
organization, may lack sensitivity
of older generational lack of
technology expertise |
Instant
results, diversity, networking to
better the world, trust authority
figures, optimistic about the
future, pursue lifelong learning |
Require
more supervision with clear
expectations, mentoring situations
welcomed, technology-based learning
combined with group support |
Board
Learning Partners Gain Insight Into
Association Work
Volunteer
Opportunity
Allows
Members to
Share
Experience
By Brenda
Truman, RN, MS, MSN, NP, and Vicki Boyce,
RN, MS, MSN
Imagine having
the opportunity to sit at the table with
AACN leaders as they discuss association
business. It is truly an opportunity to
�Rise Above� and appreciate AACN from
another perspective.
The board's work
is to steward the association's movements;
look at trends for nursing, healthcare and
professional associations; and ensure that
AACN is on track to live our values, work
within our mission and move toward achieving
our vision.
As AACN Learning
Partners, we were interested in learning
more about the association and its leaders.
After being selected from among applicants
during last year's Call for Volunteers, we
were offered the opportunity to participate
in one of the scheduled national board
meetings.
To enhance the
experience, each Learning Partner is
assigned a board mentor, who assists with
social integration, answering questions and
providing background information to help
understand the process before and during the
meeting. Materials are sent in advance to
allow time to prepare for discussions,
making the actual meeting time as productive
as possible.
The meeting we
attended in November spanned three days and
included presentations by a variety of
national office staff to update the board on
various projects and provide background
regarding the next strategic steps. The
diverse geography, practice settings and
specialties represented in the make-up of
the board, as well as the contributions from
key staff members, ensured that discussions
were broad based. The outcomes of the
discussions were then incorporated into the
work plans for the staff, which reports back
to the board at regular intervals.
Following are
some of the impressions we came away with:
� The needs of
the members are paramount. To put a twist on
a familiar phrase, AACN is a professional
association driven by the needs of its
member.
� Volunteer
contributions to AACN are truly valued.
� AACN is
efficient in project design, implementation
and follow through.
� AACN as an
organization is highly regarded.
� The board
members are truly functioning in their
stewardship roles and both ask challenging
questions of the staff and affirm the
strategic plan of action.
� We are in
capable hands in our volunteer and staff
leadership.
If you are
interested in this or other volunteer
opportunities at the national level,
register online in AACN's
Volunteer
Profile Database.
On the
Agenda
Following is a
report by AACN board member John Dixon, RN,
MSN, on discussions and actions that took
place during the board's March conference
call.
Agenda Item:
Strategic and Operating Plans
After discussing
updates to the AACN Strategic Plan, the
board reviewed the draft Operating Plan for
2004-05 to ensure that the association is on
target and that its tactical plan is aligned
with strategic goals. In operationalizing
the Strategic Plan, the association
continually scans the environment to
identify and monitor changes as it focuses
on adequate staffing, end-of-life and
palliative care, and healthy work
environments as priority issues.
Agenda Item:
New AACN Certification Corporation Board
Members
The board
approved the following slate of candidates
to serve on the AACN Certification
Corporation Board of Directors: chair-elect
(one-year term)�Judy Verger, RN, MSN, CCRN,
CRNP, and directors (two-year terms�Kevin
Reed, RN, MSN, CAN, BC, and Beth Martin, RN,
MSN, CCNS, CNRN. The new terms begin July 1.
The selection of
candidates for the AACN Certification
Corporation board is part of AACN's annual
Call for Nominations. However, the
nominating process differs from that for the
AACN Board of Directors and the AACN
Nominating Committee, because AACN members
at large do not vote on candidates for the
AACN Certification Board of Directors.
Because AACN is the sole member of AACN
Certification Corporation, the AACN board is
required to formally approve corporation
candidates.
Agenda Item:
Business Plan
In keeping with
AACN values of embracing lifelong learning,
the board discussed potential new products
and additional markets with Wendy Berke, RN,
BSN, MHA, AACN's director of professional
practice. AACN continually seeks to provide
the highest quality resources.
Agenda Item:
Financial Report
After AACN Chief
Financial Officer Michael Willett reviewed
the financial highlights for the six months
ending Dec. 31, 2003, the board approved the
financial report as presented. Willett noted
that the association remains financially
sound as the end of the fiscal year
approaches on June 30. Noting the success of
NTI 2003 in San Antonio, Texas, Willett said
AACN is looking forward to another strong
NTI in Orlando, Fla., in May.
Protect
Yourself, Your Family and Your Career
AACN encourages
nurses to protect themselves with their own
malpractice insurance. Did you know that,
with Professional Liability Insurance from
Marsh Affinity Group Services, a service of
Seabury & Smith, you can double your
protection without doubling the cost? For
example, RNs pay $89 annually for $1 million
per occurrence coverage ($6 million
aggregate coverage) and $104 for $2 million
per occurrence coverage ($4 million
aggregate coverage).
What's more,
applying for this coverage online just got
easier with proliablity.com! Browse through
�Quick Tips� and get answers to frequently
asked questions, or get a free rate quote
instantly. You can apply either directly
online or download an application and mail
it to the address shown.
To apply, get a
quick quote or for more information, visit
proliability.com or call (800) 503-9230 toll
free.
Note: AACN
members are eligible for a 10% premium
credit through one of the following
criteria: certification, 4 CE credits in
risk management or employment at a magnet
hospital.
For more
information about this or other personal
resources available to AACN members, visit
our website.
Submit
Abstracts Online for NTI 2005
June 1 is the
deadline to submit speaker proposals,
including chapter-related proposals, for NTI
2005, which is scheduled for May 7 through
12 in New Orleans, La. Abstracts can now be
submitted online.
Scene and
Heard
AACN continues
to seek visibility for our profession and
the organization. Following is an update on
recent outreach efforts.
Our Voice in
the Media
RN (March
2004)�In excerpts from her AACN News
�President's Note� column, AACN President
Dorrie Fontaine, RN, DNSc, FAAN, said, �Love
and longing also point to the love and
passion that critical care nurses bring to
the work of meeting the needs of patients
and families at the end of life ... Nurses
everywhere long to make a difference and to
meet the many needs of all who tug at our
hearts each day.�
Carolina Nursing
(Spring 2004)�An article in this alumni
publication of the University of North
Carolina noted that Immediate Past AACN
President Connie Barden, RN, MSN, CCNS, CCRN,
received the university's Chapel Hill School
of Nursing 2003 Alumna of the Year award. In
addition, AACN Board Director Mary
Holtschneider, RN, BSN, MPA, was thanked for
her valuable contributions as one of the
school's board members.
Richmond Times
Dispatch (March 7, 2004)�AACN was quoted in
an article titled �Healthcare Job Needs
Growing/Companies Offer Programs, Benefits
and Plans to Attract and to Retain
Employees.� �Nurses and nursing staff
represent the biggest employment demand,�
AACN said. �For the first time, registered
nurses top the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics list of occupations with the
largest projected 10-year job growth. The
demand is expected to rise from 2.3 million
in 2002 to 2.9 million in 2012.�
CrucialConversations.com�Fontaine was quoted
in the �Testimonials� section of the Web
site. In part, she said, �I'll continue to
dream of a critical care unit where nurses
consistently speak up about patient care
with physicians and with other colleagues
without feeling intimidated. Getting better
at my crucial conversation skills is one way
I can make this happen.�
Nursing
Management (March 2004)�CEO Wanda Johanson,
RN, MN, was one of the authors of an article
titled �Bringing end-of-life care out of the
shadows.� The article urged readers to �join
the nursing community in acting as a change
agent and adding palliative care to your
nursing practice,� and discussed the
resources available. The authors also said,
�Nursing organizations, through the Nursing
Leadership Academy for Palliative and
End-of-Life Care and its resulting
Palliative and End-of-Life Care Nursing
Community have taken the initiative to
integrate palliative and end-of-life care
into their organizations' agendas and
everyday practice. Together, these
organizations have committed to one vision,
one voice, in a clear and deliberate
statement.�
Nursing
Management (March 2004)�A column titled
�Ones to Watch� noted that AACN won the 2003
Spotlight Award for Excellence from the
League of American Communications
Professionals in both the speeches and
advertising campaigns categories. The column
also listed the new board of directors for
Sigma Theta Tau International, which
includes AACN Certification Corporation
Chair Suzanne Prevost, RN, PhD, CNAA, who
was elected to a two-year term.
Our Voice at
the Table
Barden and
Johanson participated in the strategic
planning committee meeting of the American
College of Chest Physicians in Marco Island,
Fla. Because 85% of critical care medicine
is delivered by pulmonary-critical care
physicians, ACCP is implementing a new
Critical Care Institute to enhance current
activities, develop new initiatives and
strengthen advocacy efforts related to the
care of critically ill patients and their
families. AACN has joined ACCP as a
foundational partner in the development of
this new Institute to ensure a strong and
unified voice for critical care in the U.S.
This meeting provided an opportunity to
explore the desired future of the Institute
and the potential for education and policy
development.
Roberta Kaplow,
RN, PhD, CCRN, CCNS, AACN Certification
Corporation board member, Carol Hartigan,
RN, MA, certification director, and Karen
Harvey, RN, MSN, certification specialist,
attended the American Board of Nursing
Specialties meeting in Phoenix, Ariz.
Twenty-three certifying organizations shared
initiatives and current priorities. Among
the topics discussed were common legal
issues and current trends facing certifying
organizations; organizational autonomy;
generating alternate revenue repurposing
products; and advanced practice
certification and licensure issues. In
addition, reports were shared from the JCAHO
Healthcare Professional Education Roundtable
and the Citizens' Advocacy Center Continuing
Competency Initiative. Kaplow also serves as
co-chair of the ABNS Research Committee.
Fontaine spoke
at the combined presidents' session at the
Society of Critical Care Medicine's 33rd
Critical Care Congress in Orlando, Fla. Her
topic was �Healthy Work Environments Prevent
Malpractice.� The presidents, or their
representatives, from SCCM, ACCP, ATS and
AACN met to discuss collaborative
initiatives.
Kathleen
McCauley, RN, PhD, CS, FAAN, AACN
president-elect, was the keynote speaker at
NurseFest 2004, sponsored by the Lehigh
Valley Chapter of AACN in Pennsylvania. Her
presentation was titled �Rising Above: We
all can make a difference.�
The Central
Pennsylvania Chapter of AACN hosted a
regional symposium called �Rising Above:
Facing the Challenges of Critical Care.� The
closing speech was presented by AACN Board
Member Carol Puz, RN, BSN, MS, CCRN, on
�Blazing the Trail to Healthy Work
Environments.� She focused on collaboration
and creating a vision to move forward. The
Region 3 meeting, facilitated by Chapter
Advisory Team representative Janice Wojcik,
RN, MS, MSN, CCRN, APRN-BC, took place the
following day. Puz presented an update on
national AACN activities, including NTI, the
PCCN certification exam for progressive care
nurses and AACN's electronic newsletter,
Critical Care Newsline.
Past AACN board
member Nancy Munro, RN, MN, CCRN, ACNP, was
elected as a national affiliate
representative for the 2004-05 Nominating
Committee of the American College of Nurse
Practitioners. AACN is part of a national
affiliate group of organizations that
regularly discuss common issues and
recommend members for election to the ACNP
board or nominating committee.
AACN Board
Director Nancy Blake, RN, MN, CCRN, CNAA,
attended the San Fernando Valley Chapter
Spring Symposium. She discussed critical
care nursing issues with many AACN members
and met with nursing students who were very
enthusiastic about their chosen profession.
Award
Cites Excellence in Education
Part of AACN's
Circle of Excellence program, this award
recognizes nurse educators who facilitate
the acquisition and advancement of the
knowledge and skills required for competent
practice and positive patient outcomes in
the care of acute and critically ill
patients and their families. Bard Medical
Division sponsored the award for 2003.
Nominations for this award for 2005 are due
July 15. (See page 7.) Following are
excerpts from the exemplars submitted in
connection with this award for 2003.
Stephen D.
Krau, RN, PhD
Nashville,
Tenn.
Middle
Tennessee State University
Vanderbilt
Medical Center
With the
advances in technology and the extraordinary
means by which it is possible to prolong the
lives of patients, critical care nurses are
faced with myriad, ever-changing issues and
situations. As nurse educators, our role is
to help students explore the dimensions of
not only their nursing knowledge, but also
their values and beliefs that impact the
care they provide in any critical care
situation. Understanding these beliefs, and
having a sense of �self� in stressful
situations can enable the nurse to effect
positive patient and family outcomes.
One day, at the
end of clinical rounds in the ICU, I told a
student what an extraordinary job she had
done. She looked at me and said, �But, my
patient died.�
I could only
answer, �Yes, she died, but look how she
died. All that could be done was done, and
she died peacefully and comfortably. She
died in the presence of a daughter who loves
her and in the presence of one of the most
caring and compassionate future nurses I can
ever hope to know. I only pray that when it
is my time, there is someone like you taking
care of me and my family. No one could ask
for more.
�Nurses touch
lives in a most intimate way. We are
privileged to be with patients at the most
sacred times in a life, from birth to death.
It's all about caring and touching the lives
of other human beings, wherever we encounter
them. Critical care nurses are positioned to
touch the lives of patients and their
families during times of their greatest and
most profound need. We have the opportunity
to impact their lives in ways we may never
totally know, or appreciate.�
Brenda Lynn
Morgan, RN, BScN, CNCC(C)
London,
Province Ontario, Canada
London Health
Sciences Centre
S. described her
experience prior to having her AVM removed.
Its location made blindness a significant
risk. She was visibly upset as she
questioned whether she had �correctly�
supported her children. Despite being
advised against it, she decided to tell her
young son about her surgery and risk for
blindness. Shortly afterward, she found him
crying. �If you go blind, how will you know
what I look like?� he asked. �I will still
be able to touch your face and recall your
beautiful image,� she assured him. Several
months post-op with vision intact, she still
fretted over her decision.
We explored her
son's potential response had he not been
prepared and blindness occurred. We talked
about children's need to receive honest,
age-appropriate information, and to be
reassured of a parent's love and affection.
In reflection, S. received affirmation of
her handling of the situation, and a weight
was lifted from her shoulders.
At age 53, J.
was on inotropes, CRRT and IABP therapy
after a myocardial infarction. He was
conscious during his family's visits.
Shortly after they left, he deteriorated to
the point that nitric oxide and
neuromuscular blockade were required. His
chance for survival was considered
negligible. I notified the family of the
change of events. Although they planned to
return after dinner, I gently suggested they
shouldn't wait. I then negotiated to hold
off paralysis until the family arrived,
making it possible for them to speak to the
patient one last time. During a bereavement
call one month later, his wife indicated
that she now understood why I wanted the
family to talk to John when I did. She was
grateful that she had the chance to say
goodbye.
Critical care
educators must encourage nurses to identify
opportunities to promote family recovery; it
is an important and rewarding part of our
role.
Mary Lynn
Brown, RN, BSN, MSN, PhD
Knoxville,
Tenn.
University of
Tennessee College of Nursing
In 1978, I
became a clinical instructor and found I had
the same passion for teaching as nursing. I
loved the students' excitement for
knowledge. By emphasizing caring and a
commitment to learning, I found endless
opportunities to make a difference to
students and patients. This philosophy
required encouraging and mentoring outside
of classroom and clinical time.
I organized
study groups to encourage learning. My
passion for teaching was ignited when
struggling students succeeded. Students
needed someone to go beyond the standard
level of teaching to show them they are
valued as nurses. One example was when two
minority students failed their first exams.
The course coordinator asked me to advise
them to drop the clinical course. I
disagreed and instead encouraged the
students to attend my study groups. Both
students attended, passed the course, and
graduated. I had another student excel
academically but was unsure about nursing.
She said she would give nursing one more
semester. After a few days of clinical, she
was more interested in nursing. At
graduation, she expressed her appreciation
of my help in developing her passion for
nursing.
Besides my
full-time teaching responsibilities, I
returned to critical care. This sharpened my
clinical skills. I also volunteered to
coordinate and teach in a comprehensive
critical care course for area healthcare
institutions. Nurses can lose sight of their
passion by being caught up in performing
tasks. I hope I have encouraged students to
long for the passion of caring for others.
Award
Recognizes Nursing Students
Editor's note:
The Excellent Nursing Student Award, part of
AACN's Circle of Excellence recognition
program, honors nursing students who have
promoted the value of nursing and who
reflect the AACN vision of creating a
healthcare system driven by the needs of
patients and families, where critical care
nurses can make their optimal contribution.
Nominations for this award for 2005 are due
July 15. (See page 7.) Following are
excerpts submitted in connection with these
awards for 2003.
Danielle
Avery Curtis, BSN
Ward, Ala.
Capstone
College of Nursing
University of
Alabama
My summer
internship in the surgical ICU offered me
opportunities and enriching experiences. I
was able to use my last summer before
graduation in a beneficial manner not only
for patients, but also for myself. As I
prioritized my time, my nursing position
climbed to the top of the list.
Each week
brought forth diverse patients with various
diagnoses and levels of difficulty. The
patient I will always remember was a woman
with a ruptured AAA repair. Caring for this
patient taught me volumes of knowledge about
central venous lines, ventilators,
vasoactive medications and many other
aspects of critical care. As I had the
opportunity to work with her numerous times,
I began to polish my clinical skills.
Although I was
grateful for this experience, what this
patient taught me went deeper than the
hands-on practice of nursing care. She
taught me the importance of acknowledging a
client's emotional requirements. This
patient allowed me to discover patience,
determination and love through her own
recuperation and her family's concern for
her.
What I learned
that summer helped me realize that the key
to patient care extends beyond a client's
physical needs. I now look to my patient's
psychological and emotional needs and
appreciate his or her demands. Each patient
is distinct. That in itself makes a nurse's
profession more rewarding.
Now I can
observe patience, determination and love in
my patients, as well as my fellow students,
teachers and coworkers. No lesson can be
more valuable.
Sarah A. Nalle,
RN, BSN
Knoxville,
Tenn.
University of
Tennessee College of Nursing
Throughout the
course of my baccalaureate education,
emphasis was placed on a holistic approach
to patients, focusing not only on physical
care, but also addressing the individual's
psychosocial, emotional and spiritual needs.
These priorities are often overlooked in
routine patient care. In fact, the impact of
a holistic approach to nursing was
intangible to me until I provided care for a
critically ill client.
This patient had
undergone cardiac catheterization and the
placement of three stents. After
experiencing respiratory distress, she was
intubated to ensure stability. Although she
showed progress and was able to be extubated
the next morning, she and her family
remained understandably concerned.
The morning of
her transfer to the step-down unit, she
started having chest pain. The cardiologist
requested a consultation with the cardiac
surgeons, and the patient's distress grew
increasingly apparent.
Recognizing the
family's need for emotional support and
reassurance, I spent as much time as
possible speaking with the patient and
family to answer questions, provide
necessary information and allay their fears
about surgery. I kept an optimistic view and
encouraged the family to do the same until a
decision was made regarding the possibility
of surgery. Explanations and expectations
were simple yet realistic, and surgical
outcomes were addressed. I encouraged the
family to visit more frequently than
official visiting times permitted, and
provided some diversional activities for the
patient.
As the day
passed, my patient and her family maintained
an optimistic attitude, and their outlook
improved significantly.
This situation
taught me the power of positive thinking,
and that a holistic approach to nursing
encompasses more than just a patient's
physical health during hospitalization. I
was content to know that, even as a nursing
student, I had a significant impact on a
patient's care. I continue to use these
principles as I now begin my career in
nursing.
Look Who's
Using ECCO! Web-Based Orientation Expands
Following is the
list of ECCO users as of mid-April 2004:
Alabama
East Alabama
Medical Center (HealthStream)
Alaska
SEARHC Mt.
Edgecumbe Hospital
Arizona
Tucson Heart
Hospital (MedCath)
VA Medical
Center (VISN 18)
Banner Desert
Medical Center
Tuba City
Regional Health Care Corporation
Sierra Vista
Regional Health Center
California
Naval Medical
Center San Diego
Regional Health
Occupations Resource Center-Butte College
Stanford
University Hospital
Sutter Coast
Hospital
VA Palo Alto
Health Care System
UCSD Medical
Center
Salinas Valley
Memorial Healthcare System
St. Mary's
Medical Center-Long Beach
Cottage Health
System
Mt. Diablo
Medical Center
Northridge
Hospital Medical Center
Heart Hospital
of Bakersfield (MedCath)
VA Medical
Center (VISN 22)
O'Connor
Hospital
Seton Medical
Center-Daly City
Fresno Heart
Hospital
Kaiser
Permanente-San Diego
Palomar Pomerado
Health
Fresno Community
Hospital and Medical Center
Sierra Vista
Regional Medical Center
El Centro
Regional Medical Center (HealthStream)
Enloe Medical
Center (HealthStream)
St. Joseph
Mercy-Oakland-Trinity Health (HealthStream)
Good
Samaritan-San Jose (HealthStream)
Colorado
Eastern Colorado
Health Care
Grand Junction
VA Medical Center
Boulder
Community Hospital
Poudre Valley
Health System
Centura-Porter
Hospital (HealthStream)
Memorial
Hospital Colorado Springs (HealthStream)
Presbyterian St.
Luke's Medical Center (HealthStream)
Connecticut
Yale New Haven
Hospital
Waterbury
Hospital
Lawrence &
Memorial Hospital
Hospital of
Saint Raphael
Florida
Broward
Community College
Lee Memorial
Health System
Mercy Hospital
Miami
H. Lee Moffitt
Cancer Center
VA Medical
Center, Miami
VA Medical
Center, NFSG Veteran Health System
Lakeland
Regional Medical Center
Orlando Regional
Healthcare
Sacred Heart
Health System
St. Joseph's
Hospital, Tampa
VA Medical
Center, Bay Pines
Oak Hills
Hospital
Leesburg
Regional Medical Center
BayCare Health
System
Munroe Regional
Medical Center
Sarasota
Memorial Health Care System & Sarasota
Memorial Hospital
Florida Hospital
Fish Memorial
Georgia
Memorial Health
University Medical Center-Savannah
Phoebe Putney
Memorial Hospital
Gwinnett Medical
Center-Lawrenceville
VA Medical
Center, Atlanta
South Georgia
Medical Center
Hawaii
Kapiolani
Medical Center at Pali Momi
North Hawaii
Community Hospital
Kuakini Medical
Center
Kapiolani
Medical Center for Women & Children-Hawaiian
Pacific Healthcare
Idaho
St. Luke's
Regional Medical Center
Saint Alphonsus
Regional Medical Center
West Valley
Medical Center
Magic Valley
Regional Medical Center
Illinois
Sherman Hospital
Scott Air Force
Base, 375th Medical Group
Rockford
Memorial Health System
Swedish American
Hospital
Memorial Medical
Center-Springfield
InteliStaf
Healthcare
Heartland
Regional Medical Center
Evanston
Northwestern Healthcare
Rush University
Medical Center (MC Strategies)
Oak Park
Hospital (MC Strategies)
Deaconess
Women's (MC Strategies)
Indiana
VA Medical
Center, Indianapolis
Goshen General
Hospital
Parkview Health
System
St Francis
Hospital & Health Center
Iowa
Great River
Medical Center
St. Luke's
Regional Medical Center
Kansas
Mercy Regional
Health Center
Providence
Medical Center
Hayes Medical
Center (HealthStream)
Kentucky
University of
Kentucky
Norton Hospital
Ephraim McDowell
Regional Medical Center
Hardin Memorial
Hospital (HealthStream)
Louisiana
Dauterive
Hospital
Lake Charles
Memorial Hospital
Greater New
Orleans Chapter-AACN
MedCath-Louisiana
Heart Hospital
Christus-Schumpert Health System (HealthStream)
Maine
Maine General
Medical Center
Central Maine
Medical Center
Maryland
Suburban
Hospital
Wing Memorial
Hospital Medical Center
Massachusetts
Good Samaritan
Medical Center
Emerson Hospital
Michigan
Crittenton
Hospital Medical Center
Mercy General
Health Partners-Muskegon
St. Mary's Mercy
Medical Center/Trinity Health (HealthStream)
Minnesota
Allina Hospitals
& Clinics
Methodist
Hospital-St. Louis Park
St. Cloud
Hospital
St. Joseph's
Medical Center, Brainerd
Immanuel-St
Joseph's-Mayo Health System
St. Mary's
Duluth Clinic Health System (St. Mary's
Medical Center & Miller Dwan Medical Center)
Mississippi
Keesler Medical
Center AFB
Baptist Health
Systems
Kings Daughters
Hospital
Missouri
CoxHealth
Freeman Health
System
St. Anthony's
Medical Center
Southeast
Missouri Hospital
Montana
Benefis
Healthcare
Frances Mahon
Deaconess Hospital
VA Montana
Healthcare System
Nebraska
Good Samaritan
Health System
BryanLGH Medical
Center
Nebraska Medical
Center
Nevada
Southern Hills
Hospital
Washoe Medical
Center
New Hampshire
Mary Hitchcock
Memorial Hospital
St Joseph's
Hospital
Parkland Medical
Center
New Jersey
Atlantic City
Medical Center
CentraState
Medical Center
Valley Hospital
New Mexico
University of
New Mexico Health Sciences Center
New York
St. Mary's
Hospital
Cayuga Medical
Center at Ithaca
Sister of
Charity Hospital
Our Lady of
Mercy Medical Center
Champlain Valley
Physicians Hospital (HealthStream)
North
Carolina
Cape Fear Valley
Health System
North Dakota
Altru Health
System
Trinity
Hospital-Minot (HealthStream)
Ohio
Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati
Fireland
Regional Medical Center
MedCath - Heart
Hospital of Dayton Ohio
Wood County
Hospital
Grant Medical
Center
Ohio Health
Corporation on behalf of Riverside Methodist
Hospital Campus
Kettering
Medical Center
University
Hospital of Cleveland Ohio
Mt Carmel West
Hospital
Oregon
Oregon Health
and Science University
Providence
Medford Medical Center
Pennsylvania
DuBois Regional
Medical Center
Polyclinic
Hospital (Pinnacle Health)
Washington
Hospital
Butler Memorial
Hospital
Chambersburg
Hospital & Waynesboro Hospital
St. Luke's
Hospital & Health Network
South
Carolina
Greenville
Hospital System (HealthStream)
South Dakota
MedCath-Heart
Hospital of South Dakota
Sioux Valley
Hospital & University Medical Center
Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Medical Center
Texas
Denton Regional
Medical Center
Shriner's
Hospital for Children
Methodist
Healthcare System of San Antonio, Ltd.
Harris Methodist
Hospital-Ft. Worth
Presbyterian
Hospital of Plano
University
Hospital-San Antonio
Hendrick Medical
Center
University of
Texas Health Center at Tyler
VA Medical
Center-Central Texas Veterans Healthcare
System
Brooke Army
Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston
Methodist
Hospital (Willowbrook Hospital, Sugarland
Hospital and San Jacinto Methodist Hospital)
Osteopathic
Medical Center of Texas
Shannon Medical
Center
JPS Health
Network
Del Sol Medical
Center-HCA (HealthStream)
Utah
HCA St. Mark's
Hospital
VA Medical
Center Salt Lake City
Vermont
VA Medical
Center White River Junction
Virginia
Northern
Virginia Community College
Martha Jefferson
Hospital
Bon Secours
Memorial Medical Center
Centra Health
VA Medical
Center Salem
Maryview Medical
Center
CJW Medical
Center Johnston-Willis Campus (HealthStream)
Washington
Kadlec Medical
Center
Sacred Heart
Medical Center
Yakima Valley
Memorial Hospital
NorthWest
MedStar
Northwest
Workforce Development Council
Capital Medical
Center
Madigan Army
Medical Center Consolidated Education
(Tacoma)
Providence St.
Peter Hospital
St. John Medical
Center
Sunnyside
Community Hospital (HealthStream)
Washington
D.C.
Walter Reed Army
Medical Center
West Virginia
Princeton
Community Hospital
Sunnyside
Community Hospital (HealthStream)
Wisconsin
St. Vincent
Hospital-Green Bay
Clemente J.
Zablocki VA Medical Center
Wausau Hospital
Wisconsin Heart
Hospital
ProHealth Care (
Waukesha Memorial Hospital and Oconomowoc
Memorial Hospital)
Columbia St
Mary's Training Center
Gundersen
Lutheran
Wyoming
Campbell County
Memorial Hospital
Powell Valley
Healthcare
Cheyenne VA
Medical Center
Department of
Veterans Affairs-Sheridan
Canada
Queen Elizabeth
II Hospital, Grande Prairie
Prince George
Regional Hospital
Japan
U.S. Naval
Hospital, Yokosuka
Puerto Rico
VA Medical
Center-San Juan Puerto Rico
�Stating' the
Facts
ECCO Now in
Use in 46 States, 3 International Sites
To find out
who is using ECCO, visit the
AACN Web site
at www.aacn.org > ECCO.
Award
Recognizes Outstanding ICU Design
Cosponsored by
AACN, the Society of Critical Care Medicine
and the American Institute of Architects
Committee on Architecture for Health, the
ICU Design Award recognizes ICU designs that
enhance the critical care environment for
patients, families and clinicians. Aug. 15
is the deadline to submit applications for
the 2004 ICU Design Citation. (See page 7.)
For more information, contact the Society of
Critical Care Medicine at (847) 827-7659.
Following are excerpts from the exemplars
submitted in connection with this award for
2002.
Harris
Methodist Fort Worth Hospital
Adult ICU
Team
Fort Worth,
Texas
The ICUs at
Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital include
a 22-bed medical-surgical unit, 22- bed
neuroscience unit and a 20-bed trauma unit
located. These units have direct connection
to the emergency department, operating room,
CT scanner and blood bank. The goals of the
project were to create an environment of
healing for the patients and family members,
along with a staff and physician friendly
workplace. The process to create such an
environment was directed by a Critical Care
Steering Committee. Eight subcommittees
involved 150 staff members and physicians in
the planning and implementation process.
These committees were critical in planning
the details of the operations for these new
critical care environments.
Ceiling mount
equipment and gas columns are used to
provide 360-degree access to the patient by
staff and physicians. This design allows for
room flexibility to meet the patient, family
and staff needs. The room design permits an
abundant amount of natural light and great
visibility of the patients by staff members.
Physician and staff workspace is available
in each patient room, outside of each room,
as well as the traditional nurse station
concept. The ICU area is designed to
accommodate bringing the technology to the
patient instead of having to transport the
patient. A patient monitoring system with
Internet capabilities networks throughout
all three units. There is digital imaging
capability on each unit with the ability to
provide digital processing of films in the
tower. This project was a great team effort.
McGill
University Health Center, Montreal General
Hospital
Intensive
Care Unit
Montreal,
Quebec, Canada
The ICU
renovation project at Montreal General
Hospital brought together three
geographically separate and specialized
units that had not been renovated in 25
years into a state-of-the-art, 26-bed
combined medical, surgical and trauma unit.
The renovation was an enormous demolition
and construction project, but also a major
professional challenge to cross train and
integrate three distinct, highly specialized
nursing teams.
The project
manager, Ron Evans, and architect, Sheila
Theophanides, of the firm Fichten Soiferman,
worked closely with the ICU nurse manager,
Colleen Stone, and the director of critical
care, Ash Gursahaney, to design a unit that
optimized the use of space, light and
functionality within the constraints of an
old building.
During the
design phase, a life-size model of two
patient rooms with a workstation was
constructed to provide the staff with the
opportunity to make written comments and
suggestions on how they wanted the patient
rooms to be designed. The use of moveable
power columns suspended from ceiling-mounted
articulating arms provides all healthcare
professionals with 360-degree access to the
patient, which is especially important when
invasive procedures are performed or
resuscitation is required. The single-room
concept provides privacy for patients,
decreases the noise level for staff and
minimizes the risk of transmission of
infection. The use of large glass panels
between every patient room and sliding glass
doors allows staff to visualize patients.
The extensive use of interior glass, the old
building's large exterior windows and a
palette of soft colors and natural wood add
an overall feeling of tranquility. There is
a large staff lounge with a beautiful view
of downtown and access to a roof terrace.
The improved facility has also increased the
recruitment and retention of nurses.
PDA Center
Just
Released! AHA/AACN ACLS Cardiac Arrest
e-Reference
This Palm OS
version of the Cardiac Arrest Pocket
Reference Card provides algorithms for
ventricular fibrillation/pulseless
ventricular tachycardia, pulseless
electrical activity and asystole; rapid
sequence intubation protocol; and tables for
drug-induced cardiovascular emergencies.
This product is a joint project of AACN and
the American Heart Association. The Cardiac
Arrest e-Reference is an alternative way for
healthcare providers to quickly access
information for management of cardiac
arrest.
You can purchase
this latest e-Reference from the AACN PDA
Center for just $12.50. Pocket PC version
coming soon. Additional e-References from
AHA/AACN are currently in production.
Save on the
2004 Pocket ICU Management Guide
This new
publication provides comprehensive
information, from coverage about unstable
ICU patients with life-threatening disorders
(e.g., shock, MI, cardiac arrest,
thromboembolic disorders) to disorders
additionally presented as a problem, not
simply a diagnosis. You will find sections
on evaluating fever in the ICU, recognition,
managing hypoperfusion states, diagnosing
and managing barotraumas, and recognizing
catheter infection. Each topic area or organ
system includes a summary that outlines
proper evaluation and workup of pertinent
body fluids and function. The pocket ICU
Management Guide is a must-have resource.
Purchase this
resource (for both Palm OS and Pocket PC)
from AACN's PDA Center and save $10 off the
retail price. Pay only $40 through May 31.
15% off
Pocket ICU Management and ER/ICU Toolbox
Bundle
We have bundled
this new ICU Management Guide with an
excellent essential program, the Medical
Wizard's ER/ICU Toolbox. This pocket ICU/ER
Toolbox bundle is only $80.49, saving you
over 15% off individual prices ($94.99).
This offer is good through May 31.
Special Price
on Ultimate Drug Guide and ER/ICU Toolbox
Bundle!
AACN has
packaged Medical Wizards new Ultimate Drug
Guide for both Palm OS and Pocket PC with
another great resource, the ER and ICU
Toolbox. Based on the Davis's Drug Guide for
Nurses, the UDG offers substantial
functionality that is not available in other
drug guides. And, unlike similar products,
the UDG contains the entire content of the
Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses, not just the
drug information sections. Tools, such as
unit conversion calculators, are also
incorporated. By merging drug references
with calculation tools, the UDG allows
nurses to seamlessly access drug information
and calculate drug dosages for any patient.
Twelve months of free upgrades come with
purchase. The ER and ICU Toolbox is a
premium medical calculator and rapid
reference for emergency and critical care
health professionals. More than 13 modules
are available, including ACLS protocols,
adult drips, emergency meds and fluid
wizard.
Through May 31,
you can purchase this ER Toolbox/Ultimate
Drug Guide Bundle for only $82.99 ($94.98
when purchased separately).
PDA Online
Demonstrations
Check out the
new PDA online demonstrations, which show
you how to use a PDA device and guide you
through an exploration of the abundant
software programs available for your
practice.
AACN
Corporate Circle
AACN sincerely
thanks all sponsors for their support,
including Corporate Circle Members who
sponsor year-round activities. AACN also
thanks the many NTI exhibitors who provide
sponsor support for the National Teaching
Institute� & Critical Care Exposition every
May.
AACN appreciates
and recognizes that NTI sponsor support
enhances the annual conference and helps to
keep affordable registration fees for
participants.
Corporate
Circle Members
Titanium
Level
AACN and NTI
Support valued at $500,000 and above
Nellcor/Tyco
Healthcare
Gold Level
AACN and NTI
support valued between $100,000 and $249,000
Philips Medical
Systems
Silver Level
AACN and NTI
support valued between $50,000 and $99,999
Edwards
Lifesciences
GE Healthcare
GlaxoSmithKline
InteliStaf
Healthcare
KCI
ZOLL Corp.
Bronze Level
AACN and NTI
support valued between $10,000 and $49,999
3M Health Care
Abbott
Laboratories
ALARIS Medical
Systems
American Heart
Association
Aspect Medical
Systems
B. Braun Medical
Baxter
Healthcare Corp.
Cardioynamics-The
ICG Co.
Clarian Health
Partners
Draeger Medical
Eli Lilly &
Company
The Freeman
Companies
Healthcare
Purchasing News
Hill-Rom
Masimo
Corporation
Millennium
Pharmaceuticals/ Schering Corporation
Monster
Nursing
Spectrum/Nurse Week
Ross
Products-Division of Abbott Laboratories
Sage Products
Stryker Medical
Welch Allyn
Corporate
Circle Associates
AACN and NTI
support valued $9,999 and below
ADVANCE
Newsmagazine
American Journal
of Nursing
Atrium Medical
Corp.
Bard Access
Systems
Biosite
Dale Medical
Dallas County
Chapter of AACN
Datascope
Corporation
Fain & Company
Florida Hospital
Association
Honor Society of
Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International
Integra
NeuroSciences
John A. Hartford
Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing
Lexi-Comp
Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins
Marsh Affinity
Group Services, a service of Seabury &
Smith, Inc.
Medical Wizards
Corporation
Medtronic
palmOne Inc.
Pepid LLC
R. Adams Cowley
Shock Trauma Center
St. Luke's
Episcopal Health System
Scios Inc.
Skyscape Inc.
SLACK, Inc.
Spacelabs
Medical Inc., an OSI Systems Company
Tenet
Tyco
Healthcare/Kendall
Yale School of
Nursing
Thanks to
All Who Responded to Critical Care Survey
The data
collection phase of the AACN Critical Care
Survey officially closed on March 31. AACN
is sincerely grateful to the facilities,
units and volunteers who collaborated to
complete the surveys. The facilities invited
to participate represented a random,
stratified sample of hospitals across the
country, and the response rate was strong.
Release of the
report of key survey findings is planned for
late summer. Each facility that participated
in the survey will receive a complimentary
copy of the report.
In addition,
each unit that participated in the most
recent round of data collection was entered
into a drawing for the Ultimate AACN
Resource Kit, which is valued at more than
$5,000. We are pleased to announce that the
cardiovascular-surgical ICU at Piedmont
Hospital in Atlanta, Ga., is the recipient
of this prize.
If you have
questions about the survey, call (800)
394-5995, ext. 7337, or e-mail
ccsurvey@aacn.org.
Monthly
Super Savers from AACN's Catalog Products
Celebrate
critical care nursing with one of this
month's super savers! These super-saver
prices are good through June 30. To qualify,
orders must be postmarked on or before June
30.
Critical Care
Nursing: A History (#330100)
This book traces
the evolution of critical care nursing from
battlefields and hospital recovery rooms to
today's modern units, revealing the
important place critical care occupies in
America's complex healthcare delivery system
and the crucial role specialized nursing
has.
Regular Price
Member $16.50,
Nonmember $17.50
Super Saver
Price
Member $13.50,
Nonmember $15
Patient
Safety
With the strong
focus on medications and patient safety, we
are highlighting two products that will help
to support you and your colleagues in
achieving the JCAHO Patient Safety Goals.
Medication
Administration Protocol
Set of 7
(#180160)
This series is
designed to present the latest knowledge on
various considerations of medication
administration. The set includes Delivery of
Aerosolized Medications, Alternative Routes
of Drug Administration, Intravenous Drug
Delivery, Oral Drug Administration in the
Intensive Care Unit, Closed-Loop Control of
Drug Delivery, Pediatric Drug Delivery and
Portable External Infusion Devices Protocol.
Nonreturnable.
Regular Price
Member $75,
Nonmember $94
Super Saver
Price
Member $60,
Nonmember $72
From Error to
Advocacy: Creating and Showcasing Cultures
of Safety
(NCE2553703A
or NCE2553703C)
Identifies the
characteristics inherent to a culture of
safety, contrasting and comparing those
characteristics that define a personal work
setting. Also discusses national mandates
for establishment of cultures of safety in
healthcare, highlighting specific areas for
development within a work setting. Includes
study guide and 2.0 contact hours of
Category O CE credit.
Please allow
7-10 business days for delivery, as this
product is shipped directly from National
Nursing Network. Non-returnable.
Regular Price
(cassette)
Member $13,
Nonmember $13
Super Saver
Price
Member $10,
Nonmember $10
Regular Price
(CD)
Member $15,
Nonmember $15
Super Saver
Price
Member $12,
Nonmember $12
(800) 899-2226
www.aacn.org
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