MHA's Organization of Nurse Executives

The MHA Organization of Nurse Executives asks you to
SAVE THE DATE

September 22, 2011

MHA ONE Annual Meeting - to be held at the MHA Conference Center in Madison

Nurses feel empowered to make decisions with shared governance

Adopting shared governance helps empower direct care nurses in decision-making, according to this article. Diana Swihart, a nurse expert on shared governance, names four important factors in creating this environment, including a committed nurse executive and a strong management team, and said that a design team composed of nurses and interprofessional teams is needed to make the transition to shared governance.

Commentary: How Nurse Executives Can Help Tired Nurses

Nurse fatigue and cognitive overload are of increasing concern, but simply doing away with 12-hour shifts is not a realistic option. Instead, nurse leaders must find ways to amend policies and procedures in ways that will mitigate "complexity compression."

Read more here.

ANA Immunity Award

Know a registered nurse who demonstrates a strong commitment to increasing immunization levels through education and advocacy? Nominate her or him for the "ANA Immunity Award" as part of the American Nurses Association's Bringing Immunity to Every Community project. Winners are announced the 10th of every month -- visit www.anaimmunize.org/immunityaward to learn more and fill out a nomination!

Sebelius thanks nurses for being "on the front lines of health care"

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in a statement issued for National Nurses Week, praised nurses' contributions in bringing "commitment, leadership and vision" to the health care system as well as recognized the many roles they play. "I want to thank nurses all over the country for the critical work they do on the front lines of health care. Working together, we will bring better care and better health to all Americans," Sebelius said.

Read more from Nurse.com here.

Nurses: The ANA wants you! Share thoughts on creating a guide for using social media

Are you a nurse or a nursing student? Or do you have any recommendations on best practices for nurses using social media? Now is the time to share your thoughts. The Congress on Nursing Practice and Economic (CNPE) of the American Nurses Association invites public comment on the "Principles of Social Networking and the Nurse." The document is designed as “an outline of professional principles to guide nurses in their use of social media.” If you’ve got input, download the document and submit comments by June 9.

How Google Can Help Nurse Managers

Google's mission to build a better boss churns up data suggesting that the best nurse managers aren't the ones with the most technical or clinical expertise. The best may be those who are accessible to employees.

Read more here.

Patient navigators gain popularity

More health plans and physicians are hiring patient navigators or care managers, who are likely to be registered nurses, to help patients comply with medical regimens, manage chronic diseases and stay healthy in an effort to reduce hospital readmissions. Providers faced with reimbursement cuts due to readmissions are rethinking their ideas about disease management, experts say, but there isn't a lot of data yet on which patient navigator programs are cost-effective.

Read more here.

U.S. nursing schools adopt new standards for master's education

Nursing schools affiliated with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing recently adopted new national standards for master's programs in nursing. The Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing updates standards adopted in 1996 to reflect current and future nursing practice at the master's level.

"Today more than ever nursing education must embrace the foundational core of the practice environment which is based on interprofessional collaboration, quality improvement and assuring patient safety," said Pamela Thompson, CEO for the American Organization of Nurse Executives and American Hospital Association senior vice president for nursing. "The consensus based process that produced The Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing will help assure that our next generation of nursing leadership is prepared to address the patient care challenges of our dynamic healthcare system."

 

Group introduces tele-ICU nursing certification:

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses' Certification Corporation created a certification exam for tele-ICU nurses that requires work practice in the tele-ICU or a combination of direct bedside and tele-ICU nursing experience. "Nurses who work in tele-ICUs have significant influence on the care, safety and outcomes of acutely and critically ill patients. The CCRN-E certification exam helps to validate the knowledge required for that practice," said Karen Harvey, a certification programs specialist.

Read more from Nurse.com here.

Commentary: Nurses Too Scared to Speak Up

Data shows more than four out of five nurses have concerns about incompetence demonstrated by their colleagues, but many keep quiet. What's the point in training staff to use a checklist or follow certain steps if nurses are too scared to speak up and say something when an error is revealed?

Learn more here.