The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), announced that 10 projects proposed by its state-based Action Coalitions, or in a few cases, organizations designated by an Action Coalition, have been selected to receive awards up to $25,000 each for new or ongoing work that strengthens nursing’s role in building a Culture of Health and promoting health equity. All 2020 Nursing Innovations Fund secured dollar to dollar matching funds from a variety of partners, including local county fire and emergency services, a state beef council, United Way, local foundations, health and hospital systems, universities and individual donors, to name a few.
Read the announcement | Project Descriptions
Arkansas and Tennessee
Nurses Building a Culture of Health in the Arkansas-Tennessee Delta
Grantee: Arkansas Center for Nursing and the Tennessee Action
Summary of completed project
Due to COVID-19, implementation has been delayed until February 2022 at which time live virtual trainings will take place. These trainings will be available through the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center CE Now portal for nurses to access and complete on their own for three years (until 2025). The planning phase was successful in large part because of the active role of the Advisory Group, who were instrumental in identifying potential participants and partnerships. The Advisory Group included representatives from: Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Hometown Health Improvement Project leads, Memphis Habitat for Humanity, Tennessee Department of Primary Prevention, Tennessee Housing Development Agency, Tennessee Government Affairs, University of Memphis, and Memphis Area Association of Governments.
Having a strong Advisory Group allowed for the development of partnerships from across Arkansas and Tennessee that included: state health departments, nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity, universities, and other government agencies. Sharing project outcomes at conferences and meetings is the first step in generating interest for project replicability amongst other states and regions.
Outcomes
The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the start of the project, however, the planning phase is complete due to the active Advisory Group which has helped expand and strengthen partnerships.
Leads: Ashley Davis and Patti Scott
Georgia
High School to Higher Education: Increasing Black Male Representation in Nursing
Grantee: Georgia Nursing Leadership Coalition
Summary of completed project
The program staff employed creative outreach efforts, which resulted in strengthened relationships with program partners within the school districts. These relationships will allow the program to continue outreach efforts to future participants. Seven workshops were completed to provide personal and professional development opportunities for mentors and mentees.
Collaboration with the Georgia Nurses Association led to the creation of the Metro Atlanta Chapter of the American Association for Men in Nursing. The project staff plans to continue the program for one more year, expanding to regions in Georgia, beyond the Metro Atlanta area. They are meeting with other organizations and foundations to explore opportunities for program continuation beyond another year.
Outcomes
While the pandemic posed some issues for program recruitment, the project staff’s creative approach to outreach efforts and implementation methods helped the project continue to move forward. Eight mentors and eight mentees completed the program, and seven professional development workshops were held.
Leads: Gaea Daniel and LaDonia Patterson
Kentucky
“Kentucky Partners to the BARN” (Bringing Awareness Right Now)
Grantee: Kentucky Action Coalition
Summary of completed project
More than 30 students who had an interest in a career in agriculture and were active in their local 4-H organization participated in the BARN Camp for youth. They were trained in suicide prevention/mental health awareness. They also learned how to write the play and present the skit.
The BARN Farm Dinner Theatre was held two times in two locations. In total, 255 people attended the dinners, which exceeded their initial estimate of 100. The skits the students created included stressors specific to farm families as well as ways to address them. Guided discussions took place after each skit.
The BARN model will be shared with southern states through the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network which is being developed. A toolkit is also being developed to support mental health awareness programming. The County Extension Office is working on a train-the-trainer program.
Outcomes
The process of using the BARN model to address health, wellness and suicide prevention, with students as the script writers and actors, was an effective way to reach within a community (in this case the farm community) and give them the tools they need to be able to recognize when someone is exhibiting suicidal thinking and the steps to take to assist them.
Some of the early successes of this work include increased awareness of mental health issues, as reported by participants in post-event surveys. Additionally, the participating counties used this project as an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health and well-being and suicide prevention through targeted gatherings and strategic planning efforts. The steps for replication and expansion are in place through the partnership with the County Extension Office.
The project lead posted an op-ed in the Lexington Herald Leader on farmer suicide on Farmer Suicide Prevention Day.
Lead: Kim Carter and Janie Heath
Nebraska
Striving for Health Equity in Nebraska
Grantee: Nebraska Action Coalition
Summary of completed project
Project 1:
- Nursing students who participated in the school health fairs project were educated in social justice and health equity topics and learned how nurses can play a role in supporting their communities while promoting health-wise behaviors amongst school-aged children. Relationships with Creighton University were strengthened to aid in the school health fair project.
Project 2:
- Building off the 2019 Nursing Innovations Fund, the University of Nebraska Medical College APRN nurse-led clinic continued to integrate the Community Health Worker as a key member of interdisciplinary health care teams, especially as it relates to mental health for those in rural and underserved communities in the state.
Outcomes
The Nebraska Action Coalition continued to be successful in fostering local partnerships and implementing projects, including a Certified Nursing Assistant Mentoring Program and a diversity in nursing pipeline intervention. They built on their history by continuing to forge new relationships while bringing innovation to their work.
Lead: Echo Perlman Koehler
North Carolina
Project RARE (Reciprocal, Authentic, Relationships for Equity)
Grantee: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University (NC A&T), supported by the North Carolina Action Coalition
Summary of completed project
Project staff leveraged and built upon existing relationships with the Congregational Nursing Program and the local faith-based community, particularly pastors, to assist communities with access to care. Initially, the program focused on COVID-19 vaccination and testing, before broadening its focus to address other health-related issues.
Congregational nurses, community health agencies, and pastors worked collaboratively to increase education of congregation members and provide access to health-related services, including COVID-19 vaccinations, testing, health screens, and connecting those at risk to health care providers.
The Regional Steering Committee was created to continue addressing social determinants of health, and factors that affect the health and well-being of the communities they serve.
Five of the seven participating churches served as COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites within their communities, all of which had indicators for inadequate access to care along with higher rates of COVID-19 deaths. While the vaccination rates in the targeted counties were lower than the national average, in all but one zip code, the vaccination rates of non-whites was higher than the rates for white people. In fact, in two zip codes, the percentage of non-whites vaccinated was twice the percentage of whites vaccinated. Project staff attribute those higher numbers to the work of the nurses and pastors.
Initially, pastors did not believe they had a role in addressing health issues amongst their congregations. However, as the project progressed, pastors began to take a more active role and saw themselves in partnerships with their congregational nurses. The partnership with NC A&T, an historically Black university, was critical in building trust with the congregations and other partners.
Partnership with Cone Health was established, paving the way for educational opportunities for congregations and the establishment of COVID-19 vaccination and testing sites. Additionally, this partnership led to additional services like a flu vaccine drive being offered at one congregation.
Furthermore, a partnership was formed with Guilford County Health Department, who agreed to provide data and resources for testing and vaccination to the congregations as needed. Other relevant partnerships formed with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, local media, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Project RARE will continue to meet as the Regional Steering Committee to further this work and to add members to cultivate strategic partnerships.
Outcomes
Project RARE’s goal of creating partnerships in underserved communities to address health equity issues was successful in bringing awareness and access to COVID-19 vaccinations and testing by mobilizing congregational nurses and pastors. Furthermore, partnerships with local health departments and health agencies are expanding the work beyond COVID-19 and addressing other social determinants of health.
Lead: Lenora Campbell and Valerie Howard
Pennsylvania
At the Core of Care Podcast series
Grantee: Pennsylvania Action Coalition
Summary of completed project
Season three of “At the Core Care” focused on nurses and issues related to the social determinants of health. Examples of topics included: school nursing, oral healthcare in “dental deserts,” LGBTQ+ inclusive care, sexual assault nurses, and more.
In addition to collaborating with partners to market and distribute the podcasts, they worked with their Pennsylvania Academic Progression in Nursing (PAPiN) workgroup to build a pilot program for professors to highlight one episode each week in nursing school classrooms.
Ten additional podcasts were created. The most listened to episode, “What’s Next for the Future of Nursing?” had 3,293 plays/downloads. Seven professors signed up to participate in the pilot project, committing to share one episode per week in their classrooms during the Fall 2021 and/or Spring 2022 semesters.
New partnerships that were formed to produce season three include:
- Sanctuary Farm: an organization that addresses health inequities by converting abandoned and neglected areas in north Philadelphia into farm plots
- National Association of School Nurses
- Medical Oral Expanded Care, an initiative of DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement in rural Pennsylvania
- Luke’s Miners Hometown Federal Rural Health Clinic
- Pennsylvania Youth Congress
- Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health
Outcomes
The Pennsylvania Action Coalition produced ten episodes, which focused on topics related to the social determinants of health, for season three of their podcast series, “At the Core of Care.” To expand the reach of the podcast, they piloted a project with nursing school professors to implement relevant episodes into their curriculum. They plan to expand this project after receiving survey feedback at the end of the Spring 2022 semester. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Action Coalition hopes to collaborate with other organizations to sponsor future episodes that will feature the work of those organizations.
Leads: Sarah Hexem Hubbard and Jennifer Horn
Washington
Bayanihan Response to COVID-19
Grantee: National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON-WA)
Summary of completed project
The IDIC Grocery and Meal Delivery Program continues to be successful, mobilizing volunteers to help deliver culturally appropriate meals to high-need Filipino members of the community. Since April 2020, over 20,280 meals and 75,000 pounds of groceries were distributed to 150 elders who are clients of the IDIC.
The partnership with the Filipino Community Health Board (FCHB) was strengthened through this project and the collaboration on work revolving around health and wellness issues for Filipino community members in the Seattle-King County area. Additionally, through partnerships with FCHB and Seattle University College of Nursing, NAFCON-WA was able to recruit three nursing student interns to work on this project, two of which were assigned leadership roles related to the Community Wellness Survey.
Capacity was a challenge for the project, especially since NAFCON-WA relied on volunteers and members. However, the IDIC Meal Delivery Program was very successful, and plans are underway to continue this program.
Outcomes
Through partnerships with other community organizations, NAFCON-WA was successful in their execution of the IDIC Meal Delivery Program and continues to partner with these agencies in other relevant work. They continue to work on the other deliverables.
Leads: Sofia Aragon and Therry Eparwa
West Virginia
The Nurse Entrepreneur Course
Grantee: West Virginia Action Coalition
Summary of completed project
The development and strengthening of partnerships were successful, with the establishment of the Center of Nurse Entrepreneurship forthcoming.
Some of the new businesses include a breastfeeding and lactation service, a travel nurse company, birthing and midwifery services, a health and wellness company, primary care services, and skin care services. Seventeen nurses completed the course, which was offered via Zoom, and nine new nurse-related businesses opened in the state, with one more scheduled to open.
Building on the success of the initial Nursing Innovations Fund award, new funding partnerships were established to create the Center of Nurse Entrepreneurship. The Nursing Entrepreneurship courses have been recognized as a driver of economic opportunity for West Virginia, which is evidenced by the support of the U.S. Economic Development Administration and Appalachian Regional Commission.
The funding for the Center of Nurse Entrepreneurship will allow for the scaling of the program on a more widespread level. Funding will be used to hire paid staff, expand course offerings, compensate instructors, and market outside of the state. The funding will also be used to sponsor a “Nurses in Business” conference, which will increase networking and program exposure.
Outcomes
Increasing the potential and skills for nurses to establish community businesses is a big growth area that often fills a community need, as evidenced by the outside funding received for the creation of the Center of Nurse Entrepreneurship. The FONWV is filling a gap to provide nurses with the business education and tools to be successful as they venture out on their own.
Lead: Aila Accad
Wisconsin
Preparing Wisconsin Nurses to Address the Needs of Vulnerable Populations in a Public Health Emergency
Grantee: Wisconsin Action Coalition and the Wisconsin Center for Nursing
Summary of completed project
The training was developed by first using data based on the statewide nursing survey and by identifying gaps within vulnerable populations’ care. By identifying the relevant information first, they were better able to target the training for best results. Additionally, the tools were updated and improved following each cohort’s recommendations.
By partnering with relevant community organizations and making the material applicable, they were able to enlist participants with a successful completion rate, even during the pandemic.
A total of 62 nurses participated in the training program, and 37 nurses completed the initial launch of the program in Milwaukee County. The project was then expanded to other areas in the state, with another 25 nurses completing the training. Eighty-three percent of participants agreed they were satisfied with the curriculum, and 89 percent agreed that the tools provided would help them translate their new knowledge into practice. The curriculum was also highly successful in meeting the educational goals of the participants.
The Wisconsin Action Coalition developed partnerships with organizations to help integrate the training within health service areas serving the state’s most vulnerable populations. These partners included the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association, and the Bellin School of Nursing.
The Wisconsin Action Coalition was successful in piloting the training, expanding it within the state, and updating it based on feedback from each cohort. The curriculum was also revised to reflect national content and is being piloted in other states under its new name, “U.S. Nurses Respond Now Priority Training Program.”
Outcomes
The use of existing statewide data, the identification of gaps in care for vulnerable populations, and the regular review and revision of the curriculum and tools attributed to the successful piloting and expansion of the training program, which is now available on a national level.
Lead: Barbara Nichols
Wyoming
Facilitating Seniors’ Use of Technology to Decrease Social Isolation
Grantee: University of Wyoming, in collaboration with the Wyoming Center for Nursing
Summary of completed project
Building and strengthening partnerships with community organizations and local nursing schools garnered volunteers and training space for the project. Project staff reported that the greatest lesson learned was “to remain flexible and trust our partners.” The partners worked well together, fostering a positive relationship, and staying focused on the goal of meeting the needs of the seniors being served.
Forty-three nursing students and 47 senior citizens participated in the program; 97% of seniors reported meeting their goals; and 100% of seniors were satisfied with the program.
New partnerships were formed with AARP Wyoming, who provided matching funds and helped find affordable internet service for volunteers, as well as the Eppson Center for Seniors, who provided meeting space. Additionally, existing partnerships were strengthened with the Wyoming Community Foundation, Ivinson Memorial Hospital, and the Fay Whitney School of Nursing. As a result of this project, the Wyoming Center for Nursing is now a member of the rural health network and plans to participate through virtual meetings.
The project is being shared with other senior centers around the state to replicate the program using nurses in associate degree programs in the area. Additionally, the Wyoming Center for Nursing shared this program during a meeting with associate degree program leaders in November 2021.
Outcomes
The project developed a template that utilized nursing students and community partners to fill a need amongst seniors at risk of social isolation, or those lacking access to services such as telehealth, online food shopping and delivery. The demand for the program increased over the project period, and other organizations in the state are showing interest in replicating the project in their own communities.
Leads: Canyon Hardesty and Jeanine Niemoller