ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Direct patient care across the lifespan has been the standard for nursing clinical experiences over the past several years. Recently, the Ohio Board of Nursing ruled that 100% of pediatric clinical hours could be replaced with simulation. PURPOSE: Make a recommendation for the number of direct patient care clinical hours in pediatrics that are needed to meet the pediatric nursing competencies. METHOD: All fifty United States Boards of Nursing prelicensure nursing education requirements were reviewed to identify the number of required clinical hours and definitions for clinical experience. In addition, the Society of Pediatric Nurses members were surveyed to identify the number of direct pediatric clinical hours needed to achieve the Society of Pediatric Nurses pediatric pre-licensure competencies. RESULTS: Only ten states outline any requirements regarding the required number of clinical hours for prelicensure nursing education and twenty-six states incorporate language that defines clinical experiences. CONCLUSION: All prelicensure students take the standardized National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), therefore, a consensus among the state boards of nursing outlining the minimum number of clinical hours required to reach nursing competency is needed. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Based on the survey results of the Society of Pediatric Nurses' members and expert opinion of the pediatric authors, a minimum of 61 to 80 clinical hours in direct care of pediatric patients is necessary for nursing students to meet the Society of Pediatric Nurses' recommended pediatric nursing content, obtain pediatric nursing competency, and be able to care for pediatric patients and their families.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence/statistics & numerical data , Education, Nursing/organization & administration , Licensure, Nursing/standards , Pediatric Nursing/standards , Humans , Societies, Nursing , United States , WorkloadABSTRACT
Adherence to evidence-based central line maintenance practices remains a challenge, particularly in complex patient populations. Using an evidence-based observational checklist, areas of nonadherence were identified and a focused educational intervention was developed, resulting in improved adherence across all aspects of the central line maintenance care bundle.
Subject(s)
Catheter-Related Infections/prevention & control , Catheterization, Central Venous/adverse effects , Central Venous Catheters/adverse effects , Guideline Adherence , Nurses/standards , Catheterization, Central Venous/methods , Child , Cross Infection , Humans , Inpatients , Patient Care Bundles/methods , Quality Assurance, Health CareABSTRACT
Teamwork and communication are critical to ensure safe and quality patient care. However, the ability to affect these constructs within well-established healthcare settings is challenging. Using a quality improvement approach, staff development educators collaborated with clinical nursing staff to implement a daily team huddle. When incorporated into the workflow, a team huddle can promote communication and positively influence how teams function within a clinical area.(See CE Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPD/A9).
