AACN Chapter Leadership Development Workshop Case Study #2 – Version 1

Case Study #2:

Promoting Certification

(Fictitious): Chapter Name

Dandelions Fields Chapter

# of Chapter Members:

35

# of Chapter Officers and Board Members:

Five officers: president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, treasurer-elect. Committee positions to be determined. 

Rural/Urban Area:

Rural, with two hospitals approximately 35 miles apart

How active is this chapter?

Meetings every other month with an educational component.

Background Information:

Chapter is two years-old with fairly good turnout at meetings considering the distance that members must travel. There’s a push in this spread-out community for certified nurses.

Both hospitals have teleconferencing equipment that they have recently allowed the chapter to use, and their meetings have now become in-person and virtual. 

Conflict or Issues:

The chapter wants to help both hospitals in their certification quest. The board developed a plan where they recommended that each hospital purchase the CCRN and PCCN site license which can be loaded onto their respective intranets for access by all of their staff, and then the chapter would coordinate certification study groups to help their staffs prepare to take the exams.

They also proposed establishing Certification walls of honor with framed photos of every certified nurse, and holding an annual Certification recognition dinner. Both hospitals accepted the proposal and the chapter moved forward. 

Using the teleconferencing technology available to the chapter, the study groups were attended by more than 50 nurses, many of whom joined the chapter because of the ease of accessibility they now had.

In less than one year, 12% of the area nurses achieved their certification, and their membership has grown to over 90 members. The study groups continue.

Solution(s):

Participants: Identify the HWE standard(s) that would apply to this scenario and how you would operationalize them as you consider possible solutions.

(X)  Skilled Communication
(X)  True Collaboration
(X)  Effective Decision Making
(X)  Appropriate Staffing
(  )  Meaningful Recognition
(  ) Authentic Leadership
 

True Collaboration: Both hospital and chapter together to provide internet access and support nurses to do. Hospital paid for site license.

Effective Decision Making: Decided that webinar was most effective for area. Nurses promoted this. Patients benefit; also work with hospitals to buy site license. Can you use the review questions from the CCRN National review?

Appropriate Staffing: People to run study group; staffing collaboration to get people off for class; nurse competencies and patient needs.
Think about HWE standards at Chapter level.

Examples of applying standards to chapter:

• Hospital buy site license and collaborate with AACN chapter.
• You have to market the course/certification/chapter.
• Schedule appointment with CNOs at hospitals to discuss.
  
  • Find out what their initiatives are and how chapter can support those. 
• Talk to managers and leaders to promote organizational involvement and certification.
• Have board members from all hospitals (not just one).
• Buy bulk memberships.
  • Also have bulk CCRN memberships
• “Event Right”: Put class on this to sign up for chapter membership.
  • You can watch on your own computer or physically go there.
• Assess who your audience is and plan meetings/classes.
• Check your hospital Foundations to sponsor programs also.
• During Nurse’s Week newly certified nurse’s get the CCRN fleece.
• Certification:
  • clinical advancement
  • 5% raise, bonuses
  • Host dinner for certified RNs
  • Dinner at chapter
  • CCRN pin/buttons from chapter when pass
  • Plaques in units — with names/credentials
  • Hospital pays up front for tests
  • Take flowers/balloons from chapter to unit when they pass test
  • Presentation about certification at chapter meeting
• Utilize national website for information about credentialing.