Back from vacation with a renewed mission.

I returned to work this week feeling rested after my time off. Unfortunately, the rested feeling was short lived. The hospital was extremely busy with a large volume of acutely ill patients. Although the nursing staff was tired and stressed, they continue to provide superb care to our patients. I am always humbled when I watch the Infirmary's nurses deliver patient care in such a kind, compassionate, and professional manner. Summer vacation time on the nursing units always seems to bring to light staffing issues especially now in this time of a growing nursing shortage. I have renewed my dedication to researching, developing, and sharing strategies to effectively deal with the nursing shortage. I have started to read, From Silence to Voice: What Nurses Know And Must Communicate to the Public, by Bernice Buresh and Suzanne Gordon and I feel even more committed to our wonderful profession of nursing.

Vacation!!

Well, it is vacation for me! The past week was very busy and staffing was a daily challenge. As I think about the future and the increasing nursing shortage, it really worries me. I will continue my quest to search for information on the nursing shortage and to share more strategies to effectively deal with the shortage. But for now, I am looking forward to some quiet, relaxing time with my family in the mountains of Vermont.

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.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center's Department of Nursing Utilizes Patient Simulation Training

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center's Department of Nursing has incorporated Patient Simulation Training into their nurse residency program. There is evidence that simulation training programs are effective in improving practitioner performance and confidence as well as improving clinical skills. As we continue to search for ways to recruit and retain nurses, this approach to education is well worth the investment. Kudos to Dartmouth- Hitchcock's Department of Nursing. Read more about it in the link blow.

http://www.dhmc.org/webpage.cfm?site_id=2&org_id=152&gsec_id=42639&sec_id=42640&item_id=42653