Recently, my colleagues and I were privileged to meet and speak with Massachusetts Senator Richard Moore, D-Uxbridge. During our conversation with the Senator, his vast knowledge and commitment to quality healthcare became very evident. I was captivated by Senator Moore’s passion and interest in safe, quality healthcare in Massachusetts. Senator Moore has recently given testimony before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health in support of S. 1244, An Act to Promote the Nursing Profession and Promote Safe Patient Care. Senator Moore testified in support of his bill to promote the nursing profession and safe patient care. S. 1244, An Act to Promote the Nursing Profession and Promote Safe Patient Care, would strengthen the supply of nurses and nurse faculty through incentives for students and matching grants for hospitals. It will also require public accountability for developing and reporting staffing patterns for patient care. The bill will also provide a means to evaluate and report measures to improve the quality of patient care and ensure transparency in hospital nurse staffing.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Thursday, November 1, 2007
More Great Information from the HR Advisory Group
To better prepare the region’s new nurses to practice, 40 Wisconsin hospitals have collaborated with Milwaukee-based Marquette University to develop a nurse residency program, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Through the Wisconsin Nurse Residency Program, which is funded by $2 million in federal grants, new nurses are paired with mentors who answer questions about daily work and help create professional development plans; the program also organizes monthly meetings for new nurses to receive specialized training and share experiences. Thus far, the program touts a retention rate of 90% for new nurses, compared with the 50% of novice nurses nationally who quit within their first two years. Some nursing supervisors, for instance, note that, after just one year on the job on the job, nurses in the program function at the level of second- or third-year nurses. Noting that hospitals spend approximately $65,000 to replace just one nurse, the program’s director states that the roughly $52,000 it costs to annually operate the residency program for 10 nurses can be recouped if it prevents just one in 10 nurses from quitting (Dresang, Sentinel, 10/14/07). For more information about how hospitals can develop nurse residency programs, Nursing Executive Center members can see the 2006 practice brief, Transitioning New Graduates to Hospital Practice: Profiles of Nurse Residency Program Exemplars. "
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Recommendations from the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International
- Demonstrate to health care leaders that nurses are the critical difference in America's health system.
- Reposition nursing as a highly versatile profession where young people can learn science and technology, customer service, critical thinking and decision-making skills.
- Construct practice environments that are interdisciplinary and build on relationships among nurses, physicians, other health care professionals, patients and communities.
- Create patient care models that encourage professional nurse autonomy and clinical decision-making.
- Develop additional evaluation systems that measure the relationship of timely nursing interventions to patient outcomes.
- Establish additional standards and mechanisms for recognition of professional practice environments.
- Develop career enhancement incentives for nurses to pursue professional practice.
- Evaluate the effects of the nursing shortage on the preparation of the next generation of nurse educators, nurse administrators and nurse researchers and take strategic action.
- Implement and sustain a marketing effort that addresses the image of nursing and the recruitment of qualified students into nursing as a career.
- Promote higher education to nurses of all educational levels.
- Develop and implement strategies to promote the retention of RNs and nurse educators in the workforce.
Thank you for this great information! We need to continue to share ideas and strategies as professionals and to educate the public on the value of the nursing profession.
More great information can be found on the web site (This site is also available in many other languages.) http://www.nursingsociety.org/Media/Pages/shortage.aspx
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Information from the HR Advisory Group
07/25/2007
Even as new reports continue to raise concern over the nursing faculty shortage, both national and local efforts to expand the teaching pool have mounted. Three bills currently before Congress would put millions of dollars toward faculty recruitment and training, while state governments and health care providers increasingly are offering grants to back new nursing programs and pursuing innovative solutions to the faculty deficit.Among the more recent reports measuring the effect of the faculty shortage was a brief released last week by the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC) that surveyed CEOs at 31 academic institutions nationwide and concluded that faculty shortages have prompted program and enrollment cuts. Similarly, a report released by PriceWaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute this month revisits how the faculty shortage hampers training capacity, finding that while nursing enrollments have increased at double-digit rates since 2003, the number of qualified applicants turned away has grown even faster.
To some extent, the faculty shortage is traditionally ascribed to changing demographics and somewhat unfavorable conditions for nurse educators; the AAHC report cites retirement among baby boomers, heavy faculty workloads, salary disparities between academic and private practice positions, and waning interest in academic careers among students entering health professions. Yet an oft-overlooked driver of the shortage is that public nursing schools have limited financial incentive to expand their nursing programs. According to the acting provost of one Virginia community college, the school “lose[s] $8,000 per year for every nurse” it trains; as public colleges’ tuition rates are set by the state, many schools are unable to raise student fees to cover these higher costs and instead incur significant losses. For example, North Carolina community colleges—which provide the state with nearly one-half of its RNs and more than 80% of its LPNs—say that they annually lose $30 million in training nurses. As a result, many administrators are calling for increased subsidization of nurse educational programs (PwC report, July 2007; Simmons, Raleigh News & Observer, 6/16/07).
Pending federal spending bills could boost funding for nurse education…
While Congress has touched on the faculty shortage before, such as by amending last year’s defense appropriations bill with a $500,000 measure designed to encourage former military nurses to become faculty in nursing schools, several new pieces of legislation offer far greater scope and funding, should they be approved. For example, the Senate Appropriations Committee last month approved the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education 2008 spending bill, which would earmark $169 million for nursing programs, a $20 million increase over last year’s allocation, and would support new initiatives to boost faculty numbers, such as $1 million for the University of Maryland-Baltimore to establish a Nursing Institute dedicated to training nurse educators. The bill currently awaits the full vote of the Senate (Schultz, Baltimore Business Journal, 6/22/07; House website, accessed 7/17/07). Two other bills proposed last month also hold promise to address faculty shortage concerns. In the Senate, Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) introduced the Nursing Education and Quality of Health Care Act of 2007, which would establish grants and programs to improve nurse training, recruitment, and retention in rural areas. The bill—endorsed by the American Nurses Association, the American Organization of Nurse Executives and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, according to a release from Sen. Clinton’s office—also would fund demonstration projects that integrate patient safety practices into nursing education and bolster nurse leadership in hospital-based patient safety initiatives. Meanwhile, in the House, Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.) proposed the America’s Partnership for Nursing Education Act of 2007, which would allocate $20 million annually during fiscal years 2008 through 2012 and grant eligible states a minimum of $2 million annually to increase capacity in nursing education programs. To qualify, states must have federal data projecting both a population increase of more than 50% between 1990 and 2025 and fewer than 555 employed RNs per 100,000 residents by 2020, in addition to sponsoring other programs to increase the number of nursing faculty (AHA News Now, 6/13/07; 7/9/07; Clinton release, 6/13/07; Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association release, 7/3/07; GovTrack, accessed 7/17/07).
…but states, hospitals backing new initiatives in the interim
However, some experts are pessimistic that either act will be passed, noting that similar legislation was proposed during the previous session of Congress and failed to progress to a vote. Instead, they note that rather than wait on uncertain federal funds and a national solution, states and local health care providers instead have taken the lead on addressing the faculty shortage, spawning a “patchwork” variety of new initiatives (Watch interview, 7/18/07).
For their part, many states are seeking evidence that their grants will offer instant relief for nurse training shortfalls, such as a $1.23 million state grant made this week to Arizona Western College in Yuma; the funds will be used to hire 10 nursing faculty members, acquire new lab supplies, and introduce Web-based virtual training components—measures that immediately will increase enrollment from 80 to 96 students. Similarly, many hospitals and health care systems are recognizing the potential downstream staffing benefits of underwriting nurse faculty efforts. For example, the University of South Carolina last month received a $1 million grant from nearby Piedmont Medical Center; the grant will allow USC to fund new faculty positions and nearly double enrollment in the school’s BSN program. Meanwhile, USC nursing students will have the opportunity to participate in clinical rotations at Piedmont, better positioning that facility to hire the new nurses upon graduation (Reynolds, Yuma Sun, 7/17/07; Clay, Rock Hill Herald, 6/28/07).
Monday, September 3, 2007
Retaining the New Graduate RN
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Back from vacation with a renewed mission.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Vacation!!
Thursday August 2, 2007 was the first anniversary of Paul Levy's Running a Hospital Blog, congratulations to him. He shares wonderful information on his blog and if you haven't checked it out, I encourage you to do so.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center's Department of Nursing Utilizes Patient Simulation Training
http://www.dhmc.org/webpage.cfm?site_id=2&org_id=152&gsec_id=42639&sec_id=42640&item_id=42653
Thursday, July 26, 2007
University of Maryland School of Nursing and Army Nurse Corps Partner to Address Nurse Faculty Shortage
http://nursing.umaryland.edu/news/2007/6-18.htm
Friday, July 20, 2007
Nursing Faculty Shortage Addressed
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
More Positive Work Environment News!
Last month Hutt Hospital became New Zealand's first hospital to receive ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® designation, and only the second organization outside the United States to ever receive the award. Since the start of its journey toward designation in 2002, Hutt Hospital, situated in the capital city of Wellington, has strengthened its nursing leadership, developed a framework for ethical decision-making, increased opportunities for professional development, and focused on patient-care services and nursing turnover rates. According to Hutt Hospital's Director of Nursing Toni Dal Din, the whole organization had to be committed to top quality patient care to be awarded ANCC Magnet Recognition®.
Source: Petone Herald [New Zealand]
Monday, July 16, 2007
Great News from Massachusetts!
Date: July 16, 2007
Governor Patrick signed the Fiscal Year 2008 budget into law and approved the full $3.475 million funding for the Board of Higher Education (BHE) with the $1 million funding designated for the Nursing Initiative. The Governor did veto $41 million worth of funding in over 70 line items so it is indeed great news and a credit to MONE's (Massachusetts Organization of Nurse Executives) continued advocacy that the BHE funding was spared from the veto/reduction list. The Legislature and the Governor increased the funding for the BHE Nursing Initiative from the current $500,000 to $1 million for Fiscal Year 2008 which began on July 1, 2007. This increased funding is essential for the Nursing Workforce Development Initiative to expand their statewide and regional programs to address the nursing shortage and increase the capacity and quality of the nursing education pipeline. MONE was pleased to partner with MHA (Massachusetts Hospital Association) and the Board of Higher Education in advocating for this essential nursing initiative funding. Much work remains and MONE hopes to assist the BHE in securing more substantial budget increases in Fiscal Year 2009 to support the unprecedented nursing initiative.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Another great article on the "State of the Nursing Workforce"
Peter I. Buerhaus; Karen Donelan; Beth T. Ulrich; Linda Norman; Robert Dittus is a comprehensive look into the issues that surround the nursing shortage. The authors did an excellent job in highlighting issues and the tables in section 2, " Aging of the RN Workforce" list excellent strategies. Take a look, it is time well spent. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/525650
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Good information from the American Hospital Association
http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews_app/jsp/display.jsp?dcrpath=AHANEWS/AHANewsArticle/data/AHA_News_070709_Telling_hosp_story&domain=AHANEWS
Friday, July 6, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Professor climbing Mt. Everest to highlight nursing shortage!
From Health Care Advisory Board, Nursing Executive Watch.....Recruitment and Retention
Patrick Hickey, a 52-year-old professor at the University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing, this month is embarking on a journey to climb Mt. Everest to raise awareness of the U.S. nursing shortage, USA Today reports. Since 2001, Hickey—who is an RN—has climbed six of the world’s seven highest summits. As part of his quest to conquer the seventh peak, Hickey is trying to raise $29,035—or $1 for every foot of Mt. Everest he climbs—to support his institution’s Summit Scholarship Program for nursing students. Commenting on his mission, Hickey says that he “cannot imagine a world without nurses,” adding that he is “climbing to the top of the world in honor of the profession that has meant so much to [him] and gives so much to others” (Fackelmann, USA Today, 3/26/07; University of South Carolina website).
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Happy 4th of July
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
More strategies to deal with the nursing shortage
http://www.advisory.com/members/default.asp?contentid=65708&collectionid=706&program=12
Monday, July 2, 2007
Nursing Management Magazine survey information
http://www.amnhealthcare.com/News.aspx?id=15444
Saturday, June 30, 2007
AACN Fact Sheets on the Nursing Shortage and the aging Nursing Workforce
Friday, June 29, 2007
Informative site
http://nursing.about.com/od/nursingshortage/a/RNsVSCEOS.htm
Thursday, June 28, 2007
The Magnet Recognition Program
The Joint Commission reports in, “Health Care at the Crossroads” that:
The characteristics of some of these winning hospitals-called magnet hospitals- were first studied in 1983 through a project sponsored by the American Academy of Nursing. That original research and subsequent studies have shown that the nurses working in these magnet hospitals had strong support from the leadership of the organization.
For more information on the Magnet Recognition Program log on to:
http://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/magnet/index.html
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Attracting more men into the Nursing Profession.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o4yYwU2sE8
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Thoughts on strategies and best practices for retention
- Improving the work environment, specifically ergonomics and workplace design
- Technology improvements that reduce documentation time and medical errors
- Compensation improvements, including premium differentials for off- shifts and week-ends
- Improving the culture of staff and patient safety
- Adopting a zero tolerance policy for abusive behavior in the heathcare workplace
- Improvements to staff development and education, including tuition reimbursement and on-site higher education
- Minimize paperwork burden
- Improvements to staffing effectiveness models
- Nurse leader training in retention management
- More attention to ancillary staff to perform non-nursing duties
- Limitations on mandatory overtime
- Flexibility in schedules and shifts
Monday, June 25, 2007
What a great site!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
A Case for Nurse Residency Programs.
As we move into the next decade, it will be imperative to mentor and support the novice nurse. This article in Hospitals & Health Networks builds a case for nursing residency programs. The article states, "Nurse residency programs are part classroom teaching and part support group, and last longer than the usual hospital orientation. And while they can be costly—at least one hospital spends nearly $22,000 per nurse—nurse executives say the results more than justify the expense: reduced turnover, more proficient nurses, enhanced critical thinking. " The article can be accessed at:
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Another good link from Advisory.com
This publication examines hospitals’ growing challenge in retaining nurses at a time of increasing labor shortage and declining nurse satisfaction and morale. The presentation provides a comprehensive strategy for minimizing the risk of departures and achieving lasting nurse loyalty, with tactics for implementation
http://www.advisory.com/members/default.asp?contentid=40204&collectionid=1032&program=29&contentarea=397083#5
Friday, June 22, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Of interest in the media," Georgia educators expand nursing school capacity"
http://www.advisory.com/members/default.asp?collectionid=39&program=1
Georgia nursing education leaders are working to expand the region’s pool of qualified nurses by increasing state universities’ training capacity, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The state Board of Regents recently approved $42.5 million in state bonds to help support construction of a new health sciences facility at Kennesaw State University. The $60 million building will increase the nursing school’s capacity by roughly 40 percent, or at least 80 students per year, when it opens for the 2009-2010 school year. Georgia State University officials, meanwhile, plan to launch alternative nursing education programs, including Web-based curricula, to expand enrollment by 20 students per year beginning this fall. The expansion will continue through late 2009, when officials expect to complete construction on a dedicated nursing lab and classroom facility. To further boost the nursing workforce, the dean of Medical College of Georgia’s nursing school is chairing a task force charged with developing strategies for encouraging collaboration among schools. The group ultimately hopes to increase the number of nurses graduating from the state university system by 50 percent over three years. Finally, the state’s education budget includes $3 million in grants to support other projects designed to stem the region’s nursing shortage (Duffy, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/4/07).
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Important questions that must be examined and addressed
As a nursing leader, there is an obligation to address the impact of the nursing shortage and the aging nursing population at our own institution.
Important questions that we must carefully examine and address:
- Will there be enough nurses at the bedside to provide safe, quality care?
- Will the aging nursing workforce and the nursing shortage impact the delivery of health care at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary?
- What will be the impact of the nursing shortage and aging nurse to the Boston area medical community?
- How will we assess the competencies of the older nurses?
- What will be the impact of the nursing shortage and the aging nursing workforce on the operational budgets of our hospitals and the economy?
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Is the current nursing shortage different?
the Institute of Medicine, and the Department of Health and Human Services http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/nursing.htm
Historically, nursing shortages have been short lived and cyclical, but the current shortage is different and is expected to grow larger into the next decade and beyond.
Monday, June 18, 2007
My new world of blogging
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Welcome
This blog is dedicated to sharing strategies to effectively deal with the nursing shortage now and in the future. Your ideas and comments are welcome and encouraged. The literature suggests that by the year 2020 there will be 600,000 to 800,000 vacant nursing positions in the United States.