Overview

The “Facilitating Seniors’ Use of Technology to Decrease Social Isolation” project by the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) at the University of Wyoming, in collaboration with the Wyoming Center for Nursing, enlisted nursing students to help older adults gain technology skills to reduce social isolation and increase access to services that were limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This project aimed to fill a gap by helping seniors gain technology skills for ordering groceries, communicating with friends and family, telehealth, etc.

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.

The post Wyoming appeared first on Campaign for Action.

Overview

The Wisconsin Action Coalition, in partnership with the Wisconsin Center for Nursing (WCN), executed the project “Preparing Wisconsin Nurses to Address the Needs of Vulnerable Populations in a Public Health Emergency.” This project created a continuing education program, titled “Wisconsin Nurses Respond Now Priority Training Program,” for nurses to address disparities in health care that impact the state’s vulnerable populations. They successfully completed the pilot training in Milwaukee County, expanded it within the state, and are now piloting it on a national level.

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.

The post Wisconsin appeared first on Campaign for Action.

Overview

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University (NC A&T), supported by the North Carolina Action Coalition, implemented Project RARE (Reciprocal, Authentic, Relationships for Equity) using the Campaign’s Health Equity Toolkit. The project sought to develop a community engagement model to address health equity issues through coalition-building with nurses, nursing students, pastors, and church congregations. In addition, they created a Regional Steering Committee which reflected the key partner organizations (NC A&T, Cone Health, and Guilford County Health Department), to engage stakeholders for the purposes of addressing social determinants of health in local African American and rural communities.

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.

The post North Carolina appeared first on Campaign for Action.

2021:

Overview

The Kentucky Nurses Action Coalition will partner with the University of Kentucky College of Nursing to implement a mental health and wellness training for school nurses with the goal of decreasing youth suicide in the state, which far exceeds the national average. This project expands on the Bringing Action Right Now, or BARN, initiative aimed at addressing health equity via social isolation awareness and training. Project leaders will recruit 100 school nurses to participate in the program and will work with a variety of community stakeholders, including the Actors Theatre of Louisville.

–

2020:

Overview

The “Kentucky Partners to the BARN” (Bringing Awareness Right Now) program successfully raised awareness about mental health and wellness and specifically suicide prevention with the farm community in four communities in rural Kentucky. This program culminated with a BARN Farm Dinner Theatre with a performance by the students.

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.

The post Kentucky appeared first on Campaign for Action.

Overview

The Georgia Nursing Leadership Coalition designed and implemented a mentoring program to promote greater educational attainment and employment opportunities among Black male high school students. Their project, “High School to Higher Education: Increasing Black Male Representation in Nursing” employed a holistic approach to providing professional and personal development opportunities, which assisted mentors and mentees with building educational and employment-related skills.

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.

The post Georgia appeared first on Campaign for Action.

Overview

The Arkansas Center for Nursing and the Tennessee Action Coalition partnered to implement the “Nurses Building a Culture of Health in the Arkansas-Tennessee Delta” project. The goal of this project was to recruit ten cities/towns along the Arkansas-Tennessee Delta that would place nurses on their housing and planning boards by 2022.

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.

The post Arkansas and Tennessee appeared first on Campaign for Action.

2020:

Overview

The Nebraska Action Coalition’s, “Striving for Health Equity in Nebraska,” aimed to address social determinants of health by piloting a project delivering school health fairs, and improving access to care via an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)-led clinic for rural and underserved populations.

The project team was able to complete both projects. Additionally, a manuscript to Nursing Education Perspectives journal is being prepared for submission.

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.

2019: 

Overview

The Nebraska Action Coalition focused on three projects designed to address health equity in under-resourced areas through innovative programs that focus on housing and access to health and health care. The project included:

1. a pilot to identify and improve housing in a defined vulnerable area within the state;
2. a survey to assess and establish a baseline of the Community Health Worker (CHW) role in the state; and
3. a pilot study to assess the effectiveness of a mentoring project to support nurses’ aides in furthering their education.

Summary of completed project

In partnership with Live Well Omaha, the Action Coalition developed a pilot project to inspect and grade properties in collaboration with the Omaha Housing Authority, Nebraska Tobacco Alliance, and the Omaha Health Kids Alliance. They also developed a model worksheet for tenants to use to maintain healthy homes.

The Coalition administered a CHW survey in partnership with the Center for Reducing Health Disparities, a division of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health.  The survey results were disseminated through a report to stakeholders.

Lastly, the Nursing Pipeline Committee was formed, and a pilot program was developed to increase the number of nurse aides becoming registered nurses in the state. Phase one of the mentoring program was implemented with five nurse aides joining.

Outcomes

1. Development of an evidence-based checklist tool for tenants to maintain healthy homes; this tool is now in use by the Omaha Housing Authority. Results from the pilot showed “improvement of tenant knowledge of healthy homes” and “improvement of the grade of the property.”
2. A CHW survey and subsequent report, which was foundational in securing a state-wide CHW workforce assessment and three-year HRSA grant, focused on promoting and supporting the CHW in the state.
3. Five nurse aides participated in the mentoring program, with two participants applying to nursing school and one being accepted.

2018: 

Overview

The Nebraska Action Coalition planned on pursuing two projects. One project focused on involving nurses on a health literacy taskforce to develop a health literacy tool. Due to the departure of the lead for this project, the tool was not completed. The second project focused on involving nurses on a multidisciplinary supervision committee to develop guidelines for Community Health Workers (CHWs) across interdisciplinary settings. The third goal of project was to educate and engage nurse leaders on the role of CHWs and the supervision and value of this role to interdisciplinary teams.

Summary of completed project

In collaboration with the Douglas County Health Department and other partners, the Nebraska Action Coalition brought the perspective of the nurse as supervisor as part of the range of backgrounds of supervisors of community health workers to be included in a community health worker supervision toolkit. Following a “2018 Leadership/Culture of Health Conference,” the Action Coalition collected data on community health workers across the state. The Action Coalition did this in collaboration with the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health, its Center for Reducing Health Disparities, and Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally, an open house included 40 participants from varied backgrounds including business, academia, diverse nursing organizations, and health care leaders to brainstorm and develop action plans focused on building a diverse nurse pipeline. In partnership with the A Place at Home, a homecare agency which employs diverse nurse aides, the Diverse Nurse Pipeline implemented a pilot for five pairs of mentor/mentees.

Outcomes

Members of the Action Coalition have participated in a number of statewide conferences to share information on the project to “raise up” the CHW role as an important interdisciplinary healthcare team member and the supervision direction, delegation, policy, regulation, and leadership roles related to the CHW role. Over 300 nurses (10 percent of the state’s nurses) were informed of the CHW role and the transformation of the interdisciplinary care team. A curriculum on the CHW supervision began in February 2019. The interdisciplinary team produced a report (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services as the lead author, along with the Action Coalition and four other authors) that will be available in April 2020.  Education of the healthcare profession on the importance of the CHW role to interdisciplinary health and healthcare teams remains a priority of the Nebraska Action Coalition.

The post Nebraska appeared first on Campaign for Action.

2021: 

Overview

The Pennsylvania Action Coalition (PA-AC) will expand its current mentoring program that aims to equip nurses from underrepresented backgrounds with the tools they need to be successful nursing students and nursing professionals. Key components of the 2021-2022 program include mentorship matching from the PA-AC’s Nurse Diversity Council, along with exposure to public health advocacy to inspire health equity and justice. Additionally, the coalition will enhance and promote its PA-ACCEL Toolkit as a model for replication nationwide.

2020:

Overview

The Pennsylvania Action Coalition expanded on previous Nursing Innovations Fund projects to build upon their podcast series “At the Core of Care.” They produced ten additional podcasts that highlighted nurses working to address social determinants of health within their communities. Additionally, they worked with nursing school professors to further the reach of their podcasts into nursing school classrooms.

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.

2019:

Overview

The Pennsylvania Action Coalition developed a podcast series, “At the Core of Care,” to showcase how nurses are improving health by enhancing consumers’ experience in the health care system. They adapted and executed a marketing and dissemination plan to promote the podcast and increase revenue generation.

Summary of completed project

Ten new podcast episodes were developed, along with a trailer that highlighted how nurses are driving a Culture of Health. Their marketing efforts resulted in an increased number of downloads, subscribers, and listeners. Through their partnership with the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium (NNCC), the Action Coalition received funding from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Agency (HRSA) and the Gender Justice Fund to produce additional episodes.

The titles of the ten new podcasts are:

• Resiliency in Nursing Through Covid-19
• School Nurses and Their Role During Covid-19
• Social Justice in Nursing
• Building Resiliency in the Nursing Workforce
• Nursing Student Perspective of Covid-19
• Preventing SIDS with Cribs
• Examining the Impact of Covid on Community Health Center – Part 1
• Examining the Impact of Covid on Community Health Centers – Part 2
• Empowering Nurses to Change Public Policy
• Nurses Cultivating Patient-Centered Care

Outcomes

The “At the Core of Care” podcast series was accepted into the Health Podcast Network, a collection of 8,000 podcast episodes that feature topics in health care. The reach of the podcast extended beyond Pennsylvania, with listeners from Virginia, California, Ohio, Tennessee, and New York.

2018:

Overview

The Pennsylvania Action Coalition’s project, a podcast series titled “At the Core of Care,” is an effort to showcase the stories of patients, families, and communities, and the creative efforts of nurses and other partners to better meet their health care needs. These podcasts will present a health care need through the lens of the consumer and highlight the ways that nurses and other organizations intervene and partner to transform the health care system.

Summary of completed project

The Pennsylvania Action Coalition created a podcast series titled “At the Core of Care.” The first 10 podcast episodes that were developed showcased the stories of patients, families, and communities, and the creative efforts of nurses and other partners to better meet their health care needs. The podcasts viewed a health care need through the lens of the consumer and highlighted the ways that nurses and other organizations are intervening and partnering to transform the health care system.  The list of episodes includes:

• At the Core of Care Trailer to preview all episodes
• The Fight for Full Practice Authority in Pennsylvania
• Breast Feeding Support at the Philadelphia Nurse-Family Partnership
• Pediatric Home Care for Medically Complex Children
• Bodies and Barriers-LGBT Health Equity
• Immigrant Health Care: Chester County
• Refugee Health Care Parts I and 2
• Nursing Perspectives, with interviews with nursing champions from AARP’s Center to Champion Nursing in America

The Action Coalition focused on reflecting the geographic diversity of the Action Coalition work and the diversity of Pennsylvanians. The Action Coalition contracted a professional radio and podcast producer to both develop and assist in the marketing of the podcasts.

Outcomes

The podcast series had listeners from across the United States and internationally though the greatest number of listeners are from Pennsylvania. The podcast has been played 1,985 times with the most listeners in the two largest urban areas of Pennsylvania: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. One episode has been adapted for an episode of WHYY’s The Pulse, a weekly radio program and podcast about health and science. WHYY is the Philadelphia region’s National Public Radio member station. A second season of 10 episodes have been prepared and a third is in the planning stages.

The post Pennsylvania appeared first on Campaign for Action.

2020:

Overview

The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON-WA) oversaw the “Bayanihan Response to COVID-19″ project to address health and wellness issues in the Filipino American Community in King County. The three-pronged project included:

• establishing the Telephone Tree Program to reach high-need senior members,
• participating in the International Drop-in Center (IDIC) Grocery and Meal Delivery Program for high-need Filipino families, and
• creating and distributing a Community Wellness Survey and hosting focus groups to determine community needs and establish appropriate interventions.

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.

2019:

Overview

The Washington Action Coalition built on previous research showing Washington nurses are eager to promote a Culture of Health in their communities but want additional guidance around implementation. They focused on working with motivated health care facilities in the state to create action plans for nurses to address the social determinants of health (SDOH) at the point of care, and to track key performance indicators following the implementation of these action plans.

Summary of completed project

The Washington Center for Nursing collaborated with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health to identify and track key performance indicators for implementing a systematic approach to screening for SDOH. The implementation of the SDOH screening tool started as a pilot and was expanded to additional units. Involving front-line nurses was key to the success of the project, which led to the development of tools, resources and training aimed at strengthening staff skills on leading SDOH conversations with patients. Ongoing feedback resulted in the increased usability and sustainability of the tool.

With many facilities focused on the pandemic of 2020, the Action Coalition decided to scale back the project to focus on one key partner rather than multiple partners. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health shared data on key indicators and monitored progress on the implementation of the tool and the effect on patients’ health.

Outcomes

A public use SDOH assessment tool was adapted based on feedback from front-line staff. The tool was then expanded to additional units within the hospital and translated to other languages. Based on feedback from staff about their comfort level using the assessment tool, additional resources and trainings were developed to aid them in conversations with patients on SDOH. Ultimately, the identification of key indicators and data from this project provided staff with information that may otherwise have gone unknown and allowed them the opportunity to create individualized interventions to improve health outcomes.

The post Washington appeared first on Campaign for Action.

2021: 

Overview

The Future of Nursing West Virginia (FONWV) will develop a Health Equity Skills Building Multimedia Continuing Education (CE) package for nurses and nursing students. It will focus on the multicultural needs of Appalachian and minority communities in rural and underserved areas of the state and cover systemic racism, implicit bias, equity in care for select populations (starting with LGBTQIA), improving culturally competent care, and building effective cross-cultural communication. The goal is to improve nurse and student nurse skills in building healthier relationships that address disparities, particularly related to stress and trauma.

2020:

Overview

The Future of Nursing West Virginia (FONWV) sought to expand their Nurse Entrepreneur Course, enrolling 20 more nurses, and opening five additional nurse businesses in the state. Ultimately, they enrolled 17 nurses in the program and nine new businesses opened.

The Nurse Entrepreneur Course provides nurses, who are often innovative and creative by nature, with the business skills and resources to start their own businesses, often filling a need in the community.

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.

2019:

Overview

The West Virginia Action Coalition collaborated with cross-sector partners to promote nurse-led health businesses among student nurses with the goal of improving community access to care and stimulating local economies. The team created a syllabus to integrate entrepreneur concepts into BSN, MSN, and DNP classes and created a manual for distribution and dissemination.

Summary of completed project

The Action Coalition created a syllabus to integrate nurse entrepreneur concepts into BSN community courses and as an elective for MSN and DNP courses. They also created a video highlighting the project and putting a spotlight on a nurse business owner. The Nurse Entrepreneur Course Manual is in a PDF format and downloadable on the course website.

Outcomes

The West Virginia Action Coalition created the nurse entrepreneur syllabus, promotional video, and downloadable course manual.

They also received $100,000 in additional funding from The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to expand the project and create the West Virginia Center for Nurse Entrepreneurship, and the Economic Development Administration approved the Center for $600,000 for staffing.

The project leaders were invited to author the chapter, “Leadership Through Entrepreneurship” (Marino, L., Accad, A., Barr, T.) in an APRN textbook entitled Nursing Leadership through Entrepreneurship.

2018:

Overview

The West Virginia Action Coalition focused on increasing awareness about nurse entrepreneurship, offering webinars and online training to teach skills. They also developed a curriculum, provided mentors and conducted a complete evaluation of the program. This project was based on the belief that nurses could have a large economic impact in the state and in their communities if they were more knowledgeable about business opportunities.

Summary of completed project

The West Virginia Action Coalition developed a curriculum in partnership with the West Virginia Nurses Association and the Small Business Development Center. The course included two onsite all-day sessions and 10 online webinars. Five nurses in business were engaged to serve as mentors and coaches. A complete evaluation including pre and post sessions was developed. Getting the word out and attracting nurses to participate was the greatest challenge. In addition to articles in the West Virginia Nurse quarterly publication, the Action Coalition advertised in the local newspaper and the Board of Nursing newsletter. Postcards were sent to advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) identified by the Board of Nursing. Participants paid $45 for the course to encourage commitment to attending and completing the course.

Outcomes

There were 35 nurses who took the course; 10 of these nurses have opened new health businesses with others in various stages of business development. Many are continuing with the Small Business Development Center coaches. In addition to primary care practices by APRNs, businesses also include a store front consignment shop with classes for new mothers including breast feeding; a postpartum home visiting service with services for postpartum depression; and an infusion business and a daycare center.

The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation produced a video on the project and awarded the project their “Change Maker Award.” The co-leads of the West Virginia Action Coalition were invited to submit a chapter on nurse entrepreneurship for Advanced Practice Nursing Leadership: A Global Perspective, to be published by Springer. The project is continuing with additional webinars on coding. The overall learning was that nurses need earlier exposure to intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial concepts in their nursing curriculum.

The post West Virginia appeared first on Campaign for Action.