ABSTRACT
This paper describes the conversion of partial hospitals into recovery-oriented programs as part of system transformation. Steps included: participatory planning with stakeholders; strength based assessment of resources and needs; technical assistance; and changing funding strategies. Over a period of 8 years, use of partial hospitals decreased as persons with serious mental illnesses were transitioned to community integrated recovery centers. Preliminary outcomes suggest that these programs are more effective in engaging people in the community activities of their choice, confirming previous findings that showed that partial hospitals can be converted to recovery-oriented programs that focus more directly on promoting community inclusion.
Subject(s)
Community Mental Health Centers/organization & administration , Community Mental Health Services/organization & administration , Delivery of Health Care, Integrated/organization & administration , Mental Disorders/rehabilitation , Diffusion of Innovation , Health Services Needs and Demand , Hospitals , Humans , Mental Disorders/psychology , PhiladelphiaABSTRACT
Because of the nursing shortage and a demand for maximum enrollment, a group of five baccalaureate and seven associate degree nursing programs in West Texas first met in 2007 to form the West Texas Nursing Education Consortium (WTNEC). To emphasize the importance of scale and distance, the West Texas region is larger than all of the northeastern states combined. The founding group agreed that the first mission of WTNEC should be to pool resources in order to increase admission and graduation rates for WTNEC schools. Two years later, this mission is being accomplished by the implementation of a plan designed to increase participating schools' admissions, retention, and graduation rates. A grant proposal was written and funded to develop a central regionalization of the application process for entry into WTNEC generic programs (associates degree in nursing and bachelor of science in nursing), with the goal of decreasing and possibly eliminating student vacancy rates in member schools and perhaps reducing the resources needed by each school for the admission process. The implemented centralized application system allowed prospective students to apply online to the centralized admission portal. Students maintained the freedom to choose the nursing program(s) they wanted to attend, but they were also made aware of possible openings in other participating schools. The admission portal also saved potential students time and money by submitting one centralized application, resulting in consolidation of the nursing school application process. Eleven of the 12 consortium schools participated in the centralized application system.
Subject(s)
Education, Nursing, Associate/organization & administration , Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/organization & administration , Forms and Records Control/organization & administration , Students, Nursing , Cooperative Behavior , Humans , Nursing Evaluation Research , TexasABSTRACT
This article describes the development of a Regional Simulation Center by a hospital, university, and community college to provide competency education and validation for students, nurses, and other allied health staff. Using high-fidelity patient simulators and scenario-based simulations, bachelor's of science in nursing-prepared laboratory mentors provide realistic opportunities for hospital staff and students to validate their clinical judgment as well as their psychomotor skills. The process of development, as well as the advantages of the partnership for the hospital and the nursing programs, is outlined.
