In this issue:
The Future Unfolds at NJNI’s Annual Meeting
Ideas Worth Exploring: NJNI’s First Thought Leaders Summit|
Journeys Continue for Two ICE Pilots
Action Coalition Update: E-Newsletter Launches, and More
Did You Know…?
The Future Unfolds at NJNI’s Annual Meeting
Nursing scholars, mentors, educators, and other health care leaders took their seats at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) for two days in March for the 2014 New Jersey Nursing Initiative (NJNI) Anuual Meeting. But standing still, it was clear, was not an option.
From the meeting’s theme, Fast Forward: Shaping Nursing Education and Practice in the 21st Century, to the messages offered by the speakers, attendees were encouraged to let go of the status quo and lead the way in navigating New Jersey’s rapidly evolving health care landscape. They also had a shining example of adaptability in NJNI itself.
When RWJF launched NJNI in 2009, the program focused on fueling the nurse faculty pipeline in the Garden State so that there will be enough educators to teach the next generation of nurses. Today, with accomplishments that include supporting 61 New Jersey Nursing Scholars in their pursuit of master’s or doctoral degrees that prepare them for nurse faculty roles, NJNI has a new priority: encouraging the state’s nursing programs to teach the relevant skills that will help students succeed in meeting emerging health care needs.
“Some things haven’t changed since I was a student in the ’60s and ’70s,” NJNI Program Co-Director Susan W. Salmond, EdD, RN, ANEF, told attendees as the meeting got underway. “We have to prepare nurses for the new world of health care. That’s why we’re here.”
Since they were appointed last year, guiding NJNI into a new phase has been a priority for Salmond, who also serves as dean of the Rutgers School of Nursing, and for Program Co-Director Aline M. Holmes, DNP, MSN, RN, who is also the New Jersey Hospital Association’s senior vice president for clinical affairs. The Initiative’s priorities now include an Online Faculty Development Program; enhanced partnerships with other organizations; promoting educational initiatives and pilot projects that will attune nursing education to community-based and population health; and encouraging curricular and clinical pedagogical changes in nursing to better reflect emerging and future health care trends.
‘We Have to Look Outward’
George E. Thibault, MD, president of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, was one of several speakers at the meeting who reinforced NJNI’s focus on synchronizing nursing academics and practice. “We won’t have enduring reform without changes in education,” he said. “We’ve used a curriculum derived from academic leaders’ heads. Instead of looking inward, we have to look outward. Have we achieved societal goals, not just curricular goals? That’s a paradigm shift.”
In his keynote address, noted consultant James E. Orlikoff, MA, emphasized the stark economic realities of health care that make change inevitable. “We cannot afford the product we are producing,” he said. “What does that mean? Reduce your cost or go out of business.”
Judith F. Karshmer, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of San Francisco, and Kathleen Gallo, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN, senior vice president and chief learning officer at North Shore-LIJ Health System, both highlighted the need for disruptive innovation in education. Gallo zeroed in on the importance of interprofessional education and team-based care, while Karshmer discussed several academic areas ripe for rule-breaking, especially the standard approach to nursing competencies.
“We must stop treating hours of clinical time as equal,” Karshmer said. “It’s not about the hours, it’s about the competency. We have to rethink what the competency is. Right now, it’s like telling a patient, ‘You got healthy in two days, but you have to stay for four.’ That’s how we’re treating competency-based education.”
The Spirit of Collaboration
NJNI devoted the second day of the meeting to the Collaborative Learning Community (CLC), originally scholar-focused but now expanded to include a broader audience, explained CLC Facilitator Diane Billings, EdD, RN, FAAN.
Robyn Begley, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, chief nursing officer at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, discussed trends and challenges in nursing, including the shift from acute to chronic and primary care; the shift to population care; and overcoming barriers to change. “I believe the future is very bright for nurses,” she said.
She was followed by Susan Hendricks, EdD, RN, CNE, the associate dean for undergraduate programs at the Indiana University School of Nursing, whose message to current and aspiring faculty was that “we can’t afford to be behind change. We have to get in front of it.”
“Everyone owns curriculum,” Hendricks added, “not just the few people who’ve traditionally developed it.”
Thinking Outside of Silos
As the meeting wound down, Hendricks said that she was happy to not only have shared her perspective, but to be taking away new ideas as well. “There are a number of leaders in New Jersey who are poised to move the state and the nation forward,” she said. “It was great to see a lot of people from practice engaging during the meeting, and there weren’t just questions put out there. There were some answers, too. This is what needs to happen—academia and practice sitting side by side.”
Marie Foley, PhD, RN, chair of the Graduate Department at the Seton Hall University College of Nursing, agreed. “It’s wonderful to have the perspective of practice,” she said. “The whole economic piece was fantastic. So eye-opening. We don’t often hear that. We have to look outside of our silos, and the meeting really reinforced that.”
In her parting words to attendees, Holmes said, “It’s been a great couple of days with very creative ideas. I challenge you all to go home and put these ideas into action.”
Ideas Worth Exploring: NJNI’s First Thought Leaders Summit
Attendees at the NJNI Thought Leaders Summit meeting in February 2014 included, clockwise from left, NJNI Program Co-Director Aline Holmes; CFAR consultant Carey Gallagher; Executive Director NJ Board of Nursing George Hebert; NJNI Program Co-Director Susan Salmond; NYU Director of Education and Program Development Linda Bub; CNO/COO NYU Medical Center Margaret McClure; CFAR Consultant Jennifer Tomasik; North Shore LIJ Chief Learning Officer Kathleen Gallo; CareCam Health Systems Chief Clinical Officer Sandra Ryan; Thomas Jefferson University, School of Nursing Dean and Professor Beth Ann Swan; Aetna Vice President and National Medical Director Medical Strategy Randall Krakauer; RWJF Senior Program Officer Maryjoan Ladden; NJNI Program Coordinator Nina Raoji; Visiting Nurse Service of New York President and CEO Mary Ann Christopher; Rutgers University Director of DNP Leadership Program Edna Cadmus; NJHA Vice President Post- Acute Care Policy & Special Initiatives Theresa Edelstein; Mississippi Hospital Association HRET President/CEO Marcella McKay; NJNI Projects Coordinator Hazelene Johnson; Jersey City Medical Center ACO Vice President Community Medicine Susan Walsh; NJNI Deputy Director Jennifer Polakowski. Attendees not pictured above include Meridian Health Vice President of Clinical Integration Maureen Bueno; Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Director of Clinical Integration Lois Dornan; Princeton University Director of State Health Reform Implementation Program Heather Howard; PR Solutions Consultant Jonathan Padget.
As part of its transition into a new phase, the New Jersey Nursing Initiative (NJNI) held its first Thought Leaders Summit in February at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Summit provided an opportunity for brainstorming and discussion on a number of ways NJNI can tackle pressing challenges. The ideas exchanged will undoubtedly influence future pilot projects. NJNI is grateful to the following participants for sharing their time and expertise:
Linda Bub, MSN, RN, GCNS-BC, director of education and program development at New York University College of Nursing’s Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders program;
Maureen Bueno, PhD, RN, vice president for clinical integration at Meridian Health;
Edna Cadmus, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, professor and director of the doctor of nursing practice leadership program at the Rutgers College of Nursing;
Mary Ann Christopher, MSN, RN, president and chief executive officer of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, and NJNI national advisory committee chair;
Lois Dornan, MSN, RN, CPHQ, director of clinical integration at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital;
Theresa Edelstein, MPH, LNHA, vice president for post-acute care policy and special initiatives at the New Jersey Hospital Association;
Kathleen Gallo, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN, senior vice president and chief learning officer at North Shore-LIJ Health System;
George Hebert, MA, RN, executive director of the New Jersey Board of Nursing;
Heather Howard, JD, BA, director of the State Health Reform Assistance Network and lecturer in public affairs at Princeton University, and NJNI national advisory committee member;
Randall Krakauer, MD, national medical director at Aetna;
Margaret McClure, RN, EdD, FAAN, professor at New York University and former chief nursing officer and chief operating officer at New York University Medical Center;
Marcella McKay, PhD, MSN, MEd, RN, chief operating officer of the Mississippi Hospital Association, president and chief executive officer of the Mississippi Hospital Association Health, Research & Educational Foundation, and NJNI national advisory committee member;
Sandra Ryan, MSN, CPNP, FCPP, FAANP, FAAN, chief clinical officer at CareCam Health Systems;
Beth Ann Swan, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, dean and professor at Thomas Jefferson University; and
Susan Walsh, MD, vice president for community medicine and accountable care organization medical director at Jersey City Medical Center.
Also at the Summit, eight thought leaders participated in video interviews, answering four questions about the direction of nursing and its importance. The videos will be featured later this year on NJNI’s website. Here are four excerpts that capture the spirit of the conversations.
What is the greatest challenge that needs to be tackled in nursing education today, in order to help nurses succeed in the health care landscape of tomorrow?
As a geriatric clinical nurse specialist, I think the greatest challenge in nursing education is identifying and meeting the needs of the older adult. Integrating geriatrics into programs, transitions of care for this population, working with long-term care, assisted living, and home care—we really have to broaden the range of nursing practice outside of the acute care setting. —Linda Bub
As people talk about the evolution of nursing and health care, and what it will take to move forward, are there issues that haven’t come up yet or that need to be emphasized more?
The future of nursing is going to be extraordinarily independent. It’s clear that there are not going to be as many jobs in inpatient settings. But inpatient settings provide students and brand-new nurses with the opportunity to practice in situations where they have people to turn to for help. The community setting is much different when it comes to learning. We have to plan for this more autonomous setting.—Margaret McClure
How different will nursing, and nursing education, look 10 years from now?
The hope would be that in 10 years, it’s the same in the sense that we’re still teaching nurses how to be a key part of our health care system. But it’s different in the sense that we’re teaching them to prevent, treat, and manage chronic diseases, and teaching them how to be a critical part of promoting population health.—Heather Howard
Why does nursing matter to you, and how do you see yourself moving nursing forward?
Nursing matters to me tremendously on many different levels. It’s a profession that’s grounded in patient-centeredness, and making sure the right things are done for the patient, in the right context. Also, because of my own path toward becoming a chief clinical officer for a mobile health technology company, I find it amazing how the boundaries in nursing are coming down. Nurses need to look at how they can play a bigger-picture role and have influence across all sectors, and I will continue to work on having a positive influence in people’s lives.—Sandra Ryan
Journeys Continue for Two ICE Pilots
NJNI’s Innovations in Clinical Education (ICE) program included four pilot projects, one of which has been sustained since the program concluded more than a year ago. “We’ve continued basically all aspects of the project,” said Minerva Guttman, EdD, RN, NP, director of the nursing school at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU). FDU’s participation in the ICE program included partnering with Holy Name Medical Center on preceptor strategies for community health nursing and hospice care.
“The nurses really enjoyed it, and we saw that it was making a difference. The student evaluations show they’re learning a lot,” Guttman continued.
To sustain the project, she said, the university incorporated preceptor training into the workload of the community health nursing faculty. Also, preceptors qualify for free tuition in RN-to-BSN and master’s programs. “It’s a good model that’s working well for us,” Guttman added.
Another ICE pilot will soon share its dedicated education unit (DEU) experience with a national audience. Julie Bliss, EdD, RN, chair of the William Paterson University Department of Nursing, which partnered with St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, has written an article that will be published in conjunction with a July conference celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Portland Model DEU, considered by many experts to be an exemplary model for preparing the next generation of nurses.
Action Coalition Update: E-Newsletter Launches, and More
The New Jersey Action Coalition (NJAC), which helps the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action implement recommendations from the Institute of Medicine’s landmark 2010 nursing report, is now publishing an e-newsletter that provides quarterly updates on NJAC’s progress, as well as important nursing news. The goal of the Campaign’s work is that everyone in America can live a healthier life, supported by a system in which nurses are essential partners in providing care and promoting health. View the NJAC newsletter online at www.njactioncoalition.com, and sign up to receive it directly by sending a request to info@njactioncoalition.com.
NJAC also invites nurses to visit its website to share their stories about how they are contributing to health care’s transformation through one of the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing recommendation areas: expanding scope of practice, advancing education, leadership, and workforce data. Selected stories will be featured online and shared with Action Coalition partners across the nation.
Additionally, NJAC is recruiting speakers to give presentations on its work, and needs to know if there are nurse leaders who’ve recently taken on board roles. Contact info@njactioncoalition.com to learn more about speaking opportunities, and to share any updates.
Did You Know…?
May brings a milestone for NJNI Program Co-Director Aline Holmes, DNP, MSN, RN,
who received her doctor of nursing practice degree from the Rutgers College of
Nursing. “It was on my bucket list,” she recently told Rutgers Today. “And I figured if
I am going to help transform nursing education, I should walk the walk.”
– NJNI is piloting six faculty development modules with current scholars and alumni: Meeting the Challenges of the Educational System as a New Faculty; Transitioning to a Tenure-Track Position at a Research-Intensive University; Effective Teaching Strategies; Evidence-Based Teaching; Civility in the Academic Environment; and Online Learning in Nursing Education. NJNI plans to introduce a sustainable, comprehensive Online Faculty Development Program that will support the needs of up-and-coming New Jersey nurse faculty.
– If you are a New Jersey Nursing Scholar alumna or alumnus, please let NJNI know what’s new with you, so you can be featured in the next Alumni Update section of the newsletter. Send your news about new jobs, research progress, publications, and more to info@www.njni.org.