The Connecticut Nursing Collaborative-Action Coalition (CNC-AC) is partnering with the state’s Department of Labor and Department of Public Health to manage and analyze Connecticut’s nursing workforce data.  The analysis will provide critical information for ongoing planning around the health of Connecticut residents, development of the nursing workforce and the state economy.

“The collective commitment of our partners fulfills the obligation to support the healthcare needs of Connecticut residents led by a data-informed nursing workforce,” said Lisa Sundean, RN, MSN, MA, PhD(c), director of the CNC-AC and Kimberly Sandor, RN, MSN, FNP, executive director of the Connecticut Nurses Association.

Nurses comprise the largest portion of the healthcare workforce nationally. Their numbers have a significant impact on consumers’ access to care and patient outcomes. A better understanding of the nursing workforce is crucial for decision-making about employment in different healthcare settings, diversification of the nursing workforce in relation to population diversity, deployment of nurses in areas of high healthcare need, decision-making about nursing education, and preparation of nursing faculty.

This interprofessional, collaborative partnership to manage and analyze nursing workforce data is historic in Connecticut and nationally, and demonstrates a vital link to population health and state labor force economics, Sundean said.

Marcia Proto, M.Ed, executive director of the Connecticut League for Nursing and the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce added, “The CNC-AC has developed positive working relationships with nursing and non-nursing partners in Connecticut and around the country. Through these relationships we have aligned our talents and resources to address nursing workforce issues across all healthcare settings in the state.”

The CNC-AC is one of 51 state Action Coalitions in every state and the District of Columbia, part of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of the AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Campaign for Action aims to improve the health of populations through a strong, diverse nursing workforce. CNC-AC is committed to convening a wide range of partnerships, influencing broadly, and facilitating activities that aim toward improved health of citizens statewide. CNC-AC is a project of the Connecticut Nurses Foundation and the Connecticut Nurses Association and works in close collaboration with the Connecticut League for Nursing. Partnerships between CNC-AC and state agencies demonstrate the commitment of the State of Connecticut to achieving healthier communities through nursing, the most trusted profession in the country.

The post Nursing Partnerships Align Connecticut Workforce to Improve Health appeared first on Campaign for Action.

“While nurses are a known and integral player in meeting America’s primary and acute care needs, there’s growing recognition that nurses are a critical linchpin in building bridges among health care, the community, and the social supports needed to create a Culture of Health—so that everyone in America lives the healthiest life possible.

Today’s report underscores the importance of a diverse workforce of nurses who work to their full potential. While we are making progress toward that goal, there is more to do, and we look forward to collaborating with the business, education, nonprofit, and other sectors to position nurses to maximize their impact. There are more than 3 million registered nurses in the United States—the largest group of health care providers—but the health challenges America faces simply cannot be met without a nursing workforce that is bolstered by stakeholders within and outside the larger health care community.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has unwaveringly supported nursing initiatives for more than four decades. Now, more than ever, the role that nurses play in improving the health of everyone in America—and the health care system we all rely upon—is clear.”

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD
President and CEO,
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

“Today’s report from the National Academy of Medicine provides an important analysis of a very bold vision for the future of nursing in keeping with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s vision of making America healthier. We are proud of the solid progress made in increasing the number of nurses with advanced degrees, expanding the number of states with broader scopes of practice, bringing more nurses into leadership positions, and increasing workforce diversity. We have built the infrastructure needed to make continued progress in all of these areas through an active, engaged network of nurses and other key stakeholders participating in Campaign for Action coalitions in all 50 states. Yet we have a great deal of work left to do. We must increase the number of nurses serving in leadership positions, and further expand the number of states in which nurses can practice to the full extent of their education and training. This impact study will help us hone our efforts and continue galvanizing our profession, but we must also look beyond the nursing community and begin collaborating across other professions and sectors. We will not realize a Culture of Health in our country without nurses and we must equip them to take up their role in making our schools, our communities, our corporations, and our nation healthy.”

Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN
Senior Adviser for Nursing and Campaign for Action Director,
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

“We are gratified the committee has noted our progress and believe, as the report says, we should build on our successes to improve health care practice in the interest of consumers. A strong nursing workforce is critical to helping people achieve health security and live their best lives, and at AARP, we agree with the committee that consumers need and deserve access to the high-quality care that nurses provide.

From AARP’s earliest days, we have been focused on the pursuit of health and health security for the 50-plus. Eight years ago, AARP established the Center to Champion Nursing in America with the goal of strengthening the nursing workforce so consumers have access to high-quality, affordable health care. Everything we know about the future of health and health care tells us that nurses must play a leading role in building a healthier nation. As the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action looks to the future, the report’s recommendations will serve as an invaluable road map to help us refine our focus and accelerate our progress as we continue our work to build a healthier America through nursing. ”

Susan Reinhard, PhD, RN, FAAN
Senior Vice President and Director, AARP Public Policy Institute
Chief Strategist, Center to Champion Nursing in America,
AARP

ABOUT THE FUTURE OF NURSING: CAMPAIGN FOR ACTION

The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action works to implement the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations on the future of nursing, and is coordinated by The Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA). The Campaign and CCNA are initiatives of AARP, the AARP Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The post STATEMENT ON THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE’S PROGRESS REPORT ON THE FUTURE OF NURSING appeared first on Campaign for Action.

News Release: November 17, 2015
Contact: Melissa Blair; 609-627-5937

Princeton, N.J. – Ten nurses who have developed innovative approaches to improve health and health care have been honored with the Culture of Health: Breakthrough Leaders in Nursing award from the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, a joint initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The Culture of Health: Breakthrough Leaders in Nursing award is part of a concerted effort to celebrate nurse leaders and position nurses for leadership and executive roles to help people live healthier lives and create healthier communities.

The work of this year’s award recipients represents bold efforts to give everyone in America their greatest opportunity to live the healthiest lives possible. Their work aims to: prevent and reduce child abuse; develop wellness programs for the uninsured; pioneer the use of avatars to help adolescents cope with mental health issues; improve access to healthy food and healthy living opportunities; prevent suicide and substance abuse among veterans; improve care for older adults; and increase diversity in the nursing workforce and the number of nurses serving on boards.

The recipients of the 2015 Culture of Health: Breakthrough Leaders in Nursing award are:

• Lucia Alfano, RN, MA, Faculty, Concordia College, NY. BREAKTHROUGH: In her efforts to help promote a more diverse nursing workforce, Ms. Alfano founded the Westchester County, New York chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses. She is also involved in improving nursing workforce diversity through the New York State Action Coalition.
• Katie Eilers, MPH, MSN, RN, Assistant Nursing Director, Community Health, Kitsap County, WA. BREAKTHROUGH: Ms. Eilers is a board member of Kitsap Community Resources and an executive member of Kitsap Strong, which focuses on helping children thrive despite traumatic events. Ms. Eilers also works to increase the number of nurses on boards through the Washington Action Coalition.
• Erica Joseph, PMHNP-BC, APRN, NP-C, Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Mental Health Intensive Case Management Program, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System. BREAKTHROUGH: Ms. Joseph is a member of the Addictions Council of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. Ms. Joseph develops care strategies to treat and reduce depression among African American males, and drafts policies for the Louisiana Action Coalition.
• Leanne L. Lefler, PhD, ACNS-BC, APRN, FAHA, Associate Professor, University of Arkansas College of Nursing; Education Leader, Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence. BREAKTHROUGH: Dr. Lefler served as Principal Investigator on an NIH-funded, three-year clinical trial and led an interdisciplinary team to test a home-based exercise intervention for older women. Dr. Lefler garnered national honors for her work and serves on the boards of the American Heart Association and the Southern Nursing Research Society. She is a member of the Arkansas Action Coalition.
• Laure Marino, MSN, FNP-BC, GNP-BC, Family/Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, Director of the Primary Care Center at Process Strategies. BREAKTHROUGH: Ms. Marino launched an integrated primary care center within a behavioral health center in Charleston, West Virginia, which is the only practice of its kind in the southern part of the state. Ms. Marino serves as Leadership Team co-lead, West Virginia Action Coalition.
• Monica McLemore, PhD, MPH, RN, Assistant Professor, Family Health Care Nursing Department, University of California, San Francisco. BREAKTHROUGH: Dr. McLemore helped develop the California Action Coalition’s diversity plan and has been involved in a multistate initiative to improve diversity in the nursing workforce.
• Renee’ Menkens, MS, RNC, Clinical Assistant Professor, Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing. BREAKTHROUGH. Ms. Menkens serves on numerous boards, including as chair of the Bay Area Hospital Unit-Based Practice Committee, as a member of the Coos County Medical Reserve Corps, and the Community Health Improvement Steering Committee. Ms. Menkens has also served on the Oregon Action Coalition’s steering committee since its inception, where she works to position more nurses for roles on boards.
• Gina Miranda-Diaz, DNP, MS/MPH, RN, Director and Health Officer of the West New York (NJ) Health Department. BREAKTHROUGH: Dr. Miranda-Diaz is the first Latina in New Jersey to hold both the position of Registered Professional Nurse and Health Officer. A bilingual volunteer with American Red Cross, she has worked the front lines of disasters including helping survivors of Hurricane Katrina and US Airways Flight 1549 (which landed in the Hudson River).
• Melissa Pinto, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor, Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. BREAKTHROUGH: Dr. Pinto pioneered the use of avatars and mobile technologies to improve adolescent mental health outcomes. Dr. Pinto also mentors doctoral students for the Georgia Action Coalition.
• Andrea Tanner, MSN, RN, NCSN, Coordinator of Health Services and School Nurse, New Albany-Floyd County Schools, IN. BREAKTHROUGH: Ms. Tanner served as national trainer for allergy and anaphylaxis to prepare schools to care for students at risk; launched free in-school vaccination clinics, which improved vaccination rates for uninsured students; and developed an epinephrine training program for school nurses in the wake of heroin and prescription drug abuse epidemics. She is a member of the Indiana Action Coalition.

“These nurses embody the best of nursing,” said Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, senior adviser for nursing at RWJF and director of the Campaign for Action. “This award will help them continue their leadership efforts to improve our health care system and build a Culture of Health—a culture in which everyone in America has access to quality care and supports in their community that help them lead healthy lives.”

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 ABOUT THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve the health and health care of all Americans. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook. 

ABOUT THE FUTURE OF NURSING: CAMPAIGN FOR ACTION

The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action is a joint initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), working to implement the Institute of Medicine’s evidence-based recommendations on the future of nursing. The Campaign includes Action Coalitions in 50 states and the District of Columbia and a wide range of health care professionals, consumer advocates, policymakers, and the business, academic, and philanthropic communities. The Center to Champion Nursing in America, an initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and RWJF, serves as the coordinating entity for the Campaign, as well as the national program office for the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program. Learn more at www.campaignforaction.org. Follow the Campaign for Action on Twitter at @Campaign4Action and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CampaignForAction.

ABOUT AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as health care, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services.  A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world’s largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

The post News Release: Ten Nurse Innovators Recognized for Building Healthier, More Equitable Communities appeared first on Campaign for Action.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 2, 2015
Contact: Melissa Blair; 609-627-5937

Princeton, N.J. – The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today announced that the Oregon Action Coalition is now part of the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program (SIP) and is receiving a $150,000 grant over two years to support its work. In addition to the grant to Oregon, RWJF announced that Action Coalitions in seven other states that are already part of the SIP Program—Alabama, Maryland, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia—will receive their second two-year grants of up to $150,000 each. SIP helps state-based Action Coalitions prepare the nursing profession to promote healthy communities and address our nation’s most pressing health care challenges: access, quality, and cost.

The SIP Program now supports Action Coalitions in 34 states. The grants announced today bring the total that RWJF has provided to state Action Coalitions through SIP to $8.85 million. All SIP grantees must obtain matching funds and, to date, states with SIP grants have raised more than $12.6 million beyond their RWJF funding, and the 51 Action Coalitions have leveraged more than $17 million in funding beyond their RWJF grants.

The new SIP grants bolster efforts already underway in 50 states and the District of Columbia—through the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action—to build a Culture of Health through nursing. A joint initiative of AARP and RWJF, the Campaign is working to implement the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) evidence-based recommendations on the future of nursing. It provides a vehicle for nurses and nurse champions to lead change that will support healthy communities through collaboration with health care, business, consumer, and other stakeholders. SIP grants support state-based Action Coalitions that have made substantial progress toward implementing the IOM recommendations.

“SIP grants have already helped transform our health care system in ways that are making people and communities healthier,” said Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, RWJF senior adviser for nursing and director of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action. “We are confident that this new round of grants will do even more to help Action Coalitions expand access to care, strengthen nursing education, recruit and train a more diverse nursing workforce, and improve the quality of health care.”

The Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA), an initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation, and RWJF, serves as the national program office for the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program.

“We are so pleased that Oregon is joining the SIP program and that seven other states have had their grants renewed,” said Susan Reinhard, PhD, RN, FAAN, senior vice president of the AARP Public Policy Institute and chief strategist at CCNA. “This program has been a resounding success and we know this new funding will do even more to transform health care through nursing so we can improve health outcomes and well-being for individuals, families, and entire communities.”

About the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action
The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action is a joint initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), working to implement the Institute of Medicine’s evidence-based recommendations on the future of nursing. The Campaign includes Action Coalitions in 50 states and the District of Columbia and a wide range of health care professionals, consumer advocates, policy-makers, and the business, academic, and philanthropic communities. The Center to Champion Nursing in America, an initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and RWJF, serves as the coordinating entity for the Campaign, as well as the national program office for the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program. Learn more at www.campaignforaction.org. Follow the Campaign for Action on Twitter at @Campaign4Action and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CampaignForAction.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services.  A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world’s largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates.  The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

The post News Release: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Announces $1.2 Million in New Grants to Eight State Action Coalitions Working to Transform Health Care Through Nursing appeared first on Campaign for Action.

NEWS RELEASE: September 9, 2015

Contact: Melissa Blair; 609-627-5937

Princeton, NJ — How are nurses in the workplace improving the quality of care and driving down costs? According to a new policy brief from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), momentum is building for an array of worksite-based care delivery and preventive health approaches that could produce such benefits and more, with nurses taking a leading role.

The Value of Nursing in Building a Culture of Health (Part 2): Helping Employers Create Safe and Productive Workplaces, the latest in RWJF’s Charting Nursing’s Future series of policy briefs, describes a number of nurse-designed initiatives now underway at workplaces across the nation. They include:

• Evaluating and changing the workplace environment to minimize workplace hazards;
• Implementing programs to address job and life risks in tandem and to bolster worker resilience;
• Increasing access to evidence-based primary care through worksite clinics that provide convenient, low-cost, and efficient care;
• Rebooting workplace culture through healthy menu choices, walking meetings, and fitness;
• Redesigning benefits to reward prevention and wellness;
• Measuring the impact of workplace health initiatives; and
• Building the business case for investing in the health of communities at large.

“From an employer’s perspective, it’s just good business to keep workers healthy and on the job,” says Maryjoan Ladden, PhD, RN, FAAN, RWJF senior program officer, and executive editor of Charting Nursing’s Future. “Nurses bring a professional perspective and clinical expertise that makes them the perfect partners for such initiatives, and employers and employees are turning to them with increasing frequency. It’s appropriate to note the work nurses are doing to build a Culture of Health in the workplace.”

The brief highlights several ongoing programs, including:

• Johnson & Johnson’s Live for Life teams, which offer employees health education and coaching, risk assessment, and clinical interventions at on-site clinics;
• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Total Worker Health® program, which melds workplace safety and health promotion;
• HeartMath® Institute’s The Resilience Advantage program, a stress-resilience initiative recently pilot-tested with the Milwaukee, Wisc., police department;
• The UnitedHealth Group’s Moment Health program, which offers mindfulness programs to employees of its Optum division and its customers;
• A health care center created by SAS, a North Carolina-based software company, which provides on-site care to employees, including such services as primary care, physical therapy, counseling, pharmacy, nutrition, biofeedback, and breastfeeding support;
• Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital’s on-site clinic for its employees, which reduced the number and frequency of employee emergency department visits and saved both employees and the employer money; and
• Aurora Health Care’s Live Well program in Milwaukee, which uses financial incentives to engage employees in wellness programs focused on weight, tobacco cessation, preventive screening, flu vaccination, and behavioral health.

The brief also shines a spotlight on nurse leaders conducting research and education on work-related health problems, including:

• Claire Caruso, PhD, RN, FAAN, a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health researcher who has spent two decades researching the health effects of night-shift work.
• Carolyn Sheridan, RN, clinical director and founder of the AgriSafe Network, who has worked to provide care to farmers and training to other clinicians focused on farming-related occupational illnesses.
• Sandra Ramey, PhD, RN, who trains police officers in how to manage their responses to stress.

Finally, the brief addresses ongoing debates over workplace-based wellness programs, which typically assess individual employees’ health risks. Nurses are often called on to administer key aspects of such programs, conducting biometric screenings, coaching employees to help them reach wellness goals, and sometimes managing the care of individuals with chronic diseases. Various studies have produced conflicting results about the financial return on investment these programs produce for employers,   while the incentives used to encourage employee participation have generated controversy.

This brief is the second of two focused on nurses’ contributions to building a Culture of Health. The first focuses on nurses’ work where people live, learn, and play. Also available online is a complete archive of the Charting Nursing’s Future series.

For 10 years, Charting Nursing’s Future has assembled research and expert opinion to inform readers about policies and best practices that are transforming nursing, health care, and public health. It is currently produced for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation by Propensity LLC.

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 About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/robertwoodjohnsonfoundation

The post News Release: Nurses Helping Employers Create Safe and Productive Workplaces appeared first on Campaign for Action.

NEWS RELEASE: July 22, 2015
Contact: Melissa Blair; 609-627-5937

Princeton, N.J. – The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today announced the 25 nurses from 22 states who were selected to participate in its Public Health Nurse Leaders (PHNL) program. The two-year leadership development program is designed to strengthen the capacity of senior public health nurses to improve population health, address social determinants of health, respond to emerging trends in health and health care, influence policy, and lead collaboration in their communities.

The program’s goal is to support nurses who are ready to lead public health departments in building a Culture of Health in their communities. Since PHNLs participate in partnerships across all sectors and disciplines that lead to collaborative action, they can leverage new and existing opportunities for even healthier communities. As part of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, the PHNLs will work closely with the Action Coalitions in their states to implement recommendations from the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing report.

“At RWJF, we are working to build a Culture of Health that enables everyone in the United States to live the healthiest lives possible, supported by a system in which nurses are essential partners in providing care and promoting health,” said Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, RWJF’s senior adviser for nursing and director of the Campaign for Action—a joint initiative of RWJF and AARP. “We are so proud of all 25 nurses accepted into this program and excited about the many ways they will strengthen their state Action Coalitions by bringing public health expertise to their work. Every one of the nurses in this program will help make their communities healthier and our health care system stronger.”

RWJF’s Public Health Nurse Leaders program was open to registered nurses who hold leadership positions in governmental public health organizations. Its goal is to help the PHNLs develop their leadership skills and connections with key influencers so they can build and spread a Culture of Health. Participating nurses will spend their first year focused on individual leadership development. Second-year activities are designed to enhance the leadership competencies and coaching skills of both the nurses in this program and key members of the Action Coalition in their respective states.

The Public Health Nurse Leaders selected for this program are:

• Jessica Hardy, RN, MPH, Office of Women’s Health Director, Alabama Department of Public Health, Montgomery, Ala.
• Tomi St. Mars, MSN, RN, CEN, FAEN, Chief, Office of Injury Prevention, Arizona Department of Health Services, Phoenix, Ariz.
• Patricia Scott, DNP, RN, PNP -BC, NCSN, Director, Center for Health Advancement, Arkansas Department of Health, Little Rock, Ark.
• Sherylin Taylor, PHN, Nursing Director, Lake County Public Health, Lakeport, Calif.
• Noel Bazini-Barakat, RN, MSN, MPH, Nursing Director, Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Diane Durrence, APRN, MSN, MPH, Deputy Chief Nurse for Nurse Protocols, Department of District and County Operations, Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta, Ga.
• Joan Takamori, APRN, Chief, Public Health Nursing Branch, Honolulu, Hawaii.
• Robin Hannon, RN, MSN, Director Personal Health, St. Clair County Health Department, Belleville, Ill.
• Karen Crimmings, RN, CIC, Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion Service Manager, Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health, Mason City, Iowa.
• Ivonne Rivera-Newberry, RN, BSN, Assistant Director, Reno County Health Department, Hutchinson, Kan.
• Clair Millet, DNP, APRN, PHCNS-BC, Director of Nursing, Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals Office of Public Health, Paulina, La.
• Carolyn Nganga-Good, RN, MS, CPH, DrPH (ABD), Health Programs Bureau Administrator, Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore, Md.
• Renee Frauendienst, RN, PHN, BSN, CPI, Public Health Division Director, Stearns County, St. Cloud, Minn.
• Kay Henry, MSN, RN, Director of Nursing, Mississippi State Department of Health, Jackson, Miss.
• Rachelle Collinge, MPH RN, Public Health Nursing Program Manager, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Jefferson City, Mo.
• Kathy Karsting, RN, MPH, Program Manager II/Supervisor MCAH Program, NE DHHS Division of Public Health, Lincoln, Neb.
• Amy Wilson, MPH, BSN, RN, APHN-BC, Chief Nurse, New Mexico Department of Health, Public Health Division, Santa Fe, N.M.
• Maria MacPherson, RN, MPH, Public Health Program Nurse, New York State Department of Health, Syracuse, N.Y.
• Connie Mele, MSN, RN, PMHCNS-BC, CARN-AP, NE-BC, LCAS, Deputy Health Director, Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, N.C.
• Nancie Bechtel, MPH, BSN, RN, EMT, Assistant Health Commissioner/Chief Nursing Officer, Columbus Public Health, Columbus, Ohio.
• Alexandria Jones, RN, MS, Director of Nursing, Ohio Department of Health, Columbus, Ohio.
• Monica Hughes, RN, BSN, Director of Public Health Nursing, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas.
• Arturo Rodriguez, RN, RS, MPH, Director of Public Health, City of Brownsville Public Health Department, Brownsville, Texas.
• Dorene Hersh, RN, BSN, MN, Chief of Nursing, Public Health Seattle-King County, Seattle, Wash.
• Angela Gray, BSN, RN, Nurse Supervisor, Berkeley County Health Department, Martinsburg, W.Va

The RWJF Public Health Nurse Leaders program is located at the Center for Creative Leadership, a global thought leader in the leadership development field for 45 years.

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For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve the health and health care of all Americans. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

The post News Release: Public Health Nurse Leaders Program Selects 25 Participants appeared first on Campaign for Action.

CONTACT:
Melissa Blair
609-627-5937
Gretchen Wright
202-371-1999

New study shows that rigors of the recognition process can improve outcomes for patients, nurses, and organizations.

Over the past two decades since the American Nurses Credentialing Center introduced the Magnet Recognition Program to identify hospitals that demonstrate excellence in nursing, the number of Magnet hospitals in the United States has grown to more than 400. The body of research on Magnet hospitals has grown over time, too, showing an association between Magnet status and better outcomes for both patients and nurses.

Research has not, however, clearly shown if Magnet status reflects recognition of hospitals that are already excellent, or if the challenging Magnet application and peer-review process results in improved patient outcomes. A new study, one of the first longitudinal studies of Magnet hospitals, addresses that knowledge gap and suggests that when hospitals pursue Magnet status, they make lasting change at the patient, nurse, and organizational levels, challenging the assertion that Magnet hospitals have better outcomes because they were excellent to begin with.

The study, “Changes in Patient and Nurse Outcomes Associated With Magnet Hospital Recognition,” published in the  June issue of Medical Care and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Initiative on the Future of Nursing, examined 1999-2006 data from 136 Pennsylvania hospitals: 11 “emerging Magnets” that undertook the year-long application review process and 125 non-Magnets.

The University of Pennsylvania Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research  team found that in 1999, hospitals pursuing Magnet status performed at the same level as or worse than non-Magnet hospitals on a range of measures, including risk-adjusted rates of mortality 30 days after surgery, and failure-to-rescue. By 2006, emerging Magnets had progressed significantly ahead of their non-Magnet counterparts, demonstrating markedly greater improvements, including 2.4 fewer deaths per 1,000 patients for 30-day surgical mortality, 6.1 fewer deaths per 1,000 patients for failure-to-rescue, and lower adjusted rates of nurse burnout, job dissatisfaction, and intent to quit.

The authors of the paper include Ann Kutney-Lee, PhD, RN, FAAN, assistant professor of nursing and  Linda H. Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor and  director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at Penn’s School of Nursing.

“Our results add to the body of literature that links the quality of the nurse work environment to better patient outcomes and nurses’ ability to provide high quality care,” said Kutney-Lee. “This research offers a new angle to support the business case for pursuing Magnet status. We’re seeing how the process itself can boost safety for patients and stability for nursing staffs.”

Nearly all existing studies of Magnet hospital studies have relied on a cross-sectional design, limiting the understanding of the causal relationship between Magnet status and improved outcomes. “By contributing longitudinal evidence where there had been little of it, this study can give hospital leaders a different perspective on the potential for improvement,” Aiken said. “Becoming a Magnet hospital is a significant undertaking. The message is that it’s an investment that’s well worth it.”

The RWJF Initiative on the Future of Nursing, rooted in the recommendations of the landmark Institute of Medicine report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, complements the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, a collaboration between RWJF and AARP focused on transforming health care through nursing. Through the Initiative, RWJF supports the report’s research agenda and implements recommendations in the areas of nurse training, education, professional leadership, and workforce policy.

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For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

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Widespread Adoption Will Help Build a More Highly Educated Nursing Workforce, Experts Say

Princeton, N.J. – A diverse group of nurse leaders and educators supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today called on the nation’s nurse education programs to adopt a standardized set of non-nursing course requirements. The goal is to make it easier for nurses and nursing students to earn bachelor’s degrees in the science of nursing (BSN).

The new set of foundational courses is designed to create a more seamless path to the BSN, so more nurses can transition from associate’s degree in nursing programs at community colleges to BSN programs at four-year institutions. Noting that a more highly educated nursing workforce is needed to better promote health and provide care, the Institute of Medicine has recommended that 80 percent of the nation’s nurses have BSN or higher degrees by 2020. At present, approximately 55 percent of the nation’s registered nurse (RN) workforce holds BSN or higher degrees, according to a 2013 report from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

The nurse educators, employers, and regulators who developed the new set of BSN foundational courses are part of RWJF’s Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action and its Academic Progression in Nursing initiative. Last year, they convened a two-day summit to analyze course requirements at promising academic progression programs and develop a proposal for an ideal set of requirements for BSN-to-RN programs. The proposed BSN foundational courses they developed consist of 60-64 non-nursing credits in the following areas:

• Roughly 24 general education credits in areas such as communications, English, humanities and the fine arts, statistics, and logic;
• Roughly 12 basic sciences credits in areas such as chemistry, biology, microbiology, and physics;
• Roughly nine social sciences credits in areas such as growth & development, psychology, and sociology; and
• Roughly 16 human sciences credits in areas such as anatomy & physiology; pathophysiology; nutrition; and pharmacology.

Moving from an associate’s degree in nursing to a BSN program shouldn’t be as hard as it often is,” said Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, RWJF’s senior adviser for nursing. “BSN program administrators at community colleges and universities can make it much easier—and less expensive—for nurses to advance their education by adopting this shared set of general education course requirements.”

Under the current system, differences in nursing schools’ admissions criteria, including course requirements and transferable credits, create barriers for nursing students applying or transferring to BSN programs. This often leads to duplicative coursework and adds to the time, effort, and expense involved in earning BSN degrees.

“The new BSN foundational courses will enable nurse education programs to focus on a shared understanding of essential content in nurse education,” Hassmiller added. “We encourage all university and community college nursing programs to adopt them as soon as possible so nurses and nursing students can more easily get the education they need to promote health and provide highly skilled, patient- and family-centered care.”

Helping more nurses get BSN degrees will also increase the number of nurses who go on to get master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing, which will help reverse the nurse faculty shortage and support nursing research, Hassmiller said.

Read more about the need for foundational courses for nurses seeking BSN degrees.

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For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/robertwoodjohnsonfoundation

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A new coalition of national nursing organizations will work to increase nurses’ presence on corporate and non-profit health-related boards of directors throughout the country.  “Without a nurse trustee, boards lack an authority on the patient experience, quality and safety, and the largest part of the hospital workforce,” Trustee Magazine, a publication of the American Hospital Association, wrote recently.

The Nurses on Boards Coalition will implement a national strategy aimed at bringing nurses’ valuable perspective to governing boards and national and state commissions with an interest in health. The goal is to put 10,000 nurses on boards by the year 2020. The effort is a direct response to the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM)  report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (2011), which recommended nurses play more pivotal decision-making roles on boards and commissions in improving the health of all Americans.

The effort is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and AARP as part of their collaborative effort to implement the recommendations of the IOM report through the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action.

Members of the coalition are listed below. Other organizations may choose to be a part of this important and historic coalition going forward.

AARP

American Academy of Nursing

American Assembly For Men in Nursing

American Association of Colleges of Nursing

American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

American Association of Nurse Practitioners

American Nurses Association

American Nurses Foundation

American Organization of Nurse Executives

Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association

Association of Public Health Nurses

National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers

Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare

National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association, Inc.

National Association of Hispanic Nurses

National Black Nurses Association

National League For Nursing

National Organization for Associate Degree Nursing

National Student Nurses Association

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Sigma Theta Tau International

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