Design and Implementation of a Nursing Capstone Across a Multisite Health System.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created profound effects in nursing education. Using a robust academic-practice partnership, a college of nursing and a health care organization collaborated to launch Jefferson Capstone Experience (JCE), an education delivery model that included a one-to-one, 108-hour clinical preceptorship between an experienced RN and an undergraduate nursing student. METHOD: The expedited design, implementation, and evaluation of JCE is described. The mixed-method program evaluation included surveys, interviews, and focus groups with students, faculty, and preceptors. RESULTS: Students and preceptors reported high levels of satisfaction with JCE. All parties emphasized the importance of clear and timely communication, academic practice collaboration, and organization. A significant number of capstone graduates accepted a position with a capstone clinical partner. CONCLUSION: Although the logistics of planning and implementation were challenging, an immersive and largely positive experience was created for undergraduate students, which created a robust hiring pipeline of new-to-practice nurses. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(5):292-297.].

Does Contracting with Managed Care Organizations Remain A Barrier for Nurse Practitioners?

Upon implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many managed care organizations (MCOs) initially increased their nurse practitioner (NP) contracting. This trend has not continued, potentially frustrating ACA efforts to expand primary care provider capacity. In this study, about 25% of the responding MCOs did not contract with NPs as primary care providers. only 62.5% of respondent MCOs offering Medicaid products reported contracting with NPs as primary care providers, suggesting this will place a disproportionate burden on low-income patients seeking to access care. Findings from this study also have important geographic implications, suggesting the decision to contract with NPs is made individually, not necessarily influenced by the numbers of newly insured or available primary care physicians.

Hartford Gerontological Nursing Leaders: From Funding Initiative to National Organization.

In 2000, the John A. Hartford Foundation established the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program initiative, acknowledging nursing's key role in the care of the growing population of older adults. This program has supported 249 nurse scientists with pre- and postdoctoral awards. As a result of the program's success, several Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program awardees formed an alumni organization to continue to advance the quality care of older adults. This group of Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program awardees joined others receiving support from the John A. Hartford Foundation nursing initiatives to grow a formal organization, the Hartford Gerontological Nursing Leaders (HGNL). The purpose of this article is to present the development, accomplishments, and challenges of the HGNL, informing other professional nursing organizations that are experiencing similar accomplishments and challenges. This article also demonstrates the power of a funding initiative to grow an organization dedicated to impact gerontological health and health care through research, practice, education, and policy.

Use of quick response coding to create interactive patient and provider resources.

BACKGROUND: Since their creation more than 20 years ago, the proliferation of Quick Response (QR) codes has expanded tremendously. Little was found in the literature to support the innovative use of QR coding in the classroom or in health care provision. Thus, the authors created a doctoral-level practicum experience using QR coding to create interactive, individualized patient or provider resource guides. METHOD: Short, descriptive surveys were used before and after implementation of the practicum experience to determine students' comfort level using QR technology, their knowledge base, ease of use, and overall satisfaction with the practicum. RESULTS: Students reported high levels of satisfaction with this exercise, and all agreed that use of QR coding could have important implications in the clinical environment. CONCLUSION: This practicum experience was a creative, practical, and valuable example of integrating emerging technology into individualized patient care.

Characteristics of acute care utilization of a Delaware adult sickle cell disease patient population.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder that is chronic in nature and manifests itself through many facets of the patient's life. Comprehensive specialty centers have the potential to reduce health care costs and improve the quality of care for patients who have chronic medical conditions such as heart failure and SCD. The purpose of this practice inquiry was to analyze de-identified data for acute care episodes involving SCD in order to create a detailed picture of acute care utilization for adult patients in Delaware with SCD from 2007 to 2009. Gaining a better understanding of acute care utilization for adults with SCD may provide evidence to improve access to high-quality health care services for this vulnerable patient population in the state of Delaware.

Nursing home culture change: what does it mean to nurses?

The purpose of this study was to explore, from the perspectives of licensed nurses, the organizational culture, work environment, and factors influencing culture change in two nursing homes participating in the Wellspring Program. All licensed nurses ≥ 0.25 full-time equivalent from two nursing homes were invited to complete the Organizational Culture Inventory and the Work Environment Scale. A subset of respondents was invited to participate in subsequent interviews. Data indicated unresolved conflict, low employee satisfaction, high work demands, and managerial control in the workplace. Qualitatively, three categories emerged: Confusion over culture change, role, and documentation; Conflict over the integration of traditional care with a resident-centered model; and Commitment to providing quality nursing care to the resident. To ensure the successful implementation of culture change, consideration must be given to clarity of communication, anticipation of role conflict, and building on the underlying strength of job commitment.

Defining and assessing organizational culture.

PROBLEM: Using theories from several disciplines, the concept of organizational culture remains controversial. Conflicting definitions, lack of semantic clarity, and debate over the most appropriate methods for assessing organizational culture have led to disagreement over the value and validity of such inquiry. METHODS: This paper reviews development of the concept of organizational culture and methods for assessing organizational culture, focusing on the healthcare environment. FINDINGS: Most work on organizational culture concerns the traditional corporation. Therefore, some adaptation to the central goals and focus of a human services organization are necessary before application to healthcare settings.