Susan R. Jacob

Inactive nurses: a source for alleviating the nursing shortage?

Objective: This study seeks to provide an understanding of why inactive registered nurses chose to become inactive and what they would require for them to return to nursing. Background: In 2000, a shortage of 110,000 (6%) registered nurses existed in the United States. If the current trends continue, the shortage is projected to grow to 29% by 2020. One solution to the nursing shortage may be attracting nurses with inactive licenses back into employment. Methods: This study used a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Inactive nurses (N = 428) younger than 60 years in 1 Southern state were surveyed. A major portion (27.6%) of these nurses left nursing because of a conflict between parenting duties and scheduling requirements (13.5%) at work and indicated that they would return to nursing if given the opportunity to work part-time, especially if shifts were flexible and shorter. Conclusion: Although the group of registered nurses younger than 60 years do not constitute a large percentage of nurses in this country, they are a potential source of alleviating, to some extent, the critical nursing shortage. Employers can encourage many of these nurses to return to work by providing more flexible work schedules, including part-time and shorter shifts, as well as decreased workloads.

A model academic-practice partnership.

Academic-practice partnerships are increasingly viewed as requisite for the future of nursing and paramount to bridging education preparation and achievement of excellence in professional practice. A model partnership that grew out of a decision to transition a hospital diploma program to a baccalaureate degree program is described and lessons learned from that experience follow. In the 1900s, Memphis, Tennessee was witness to early evolutions in nursing education. In 1918, the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing (MHSON) was established, while just down the street, two years later, the Memphis City Hospital and its 33-year-old School of Nursing affiliated with The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). By 1927, the university assumed responsibility for the city hospital’s school of nursing and, in 1950, the school became one of the earliest baccalaureate (Bachelor of Science in Nursing [BSN]) programs in the country. For the next half-century, both the MHSON and the UTHSC programs coexisted with graduates of both playing critical roles throughout the growing Methodist-Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) system. By mid-1990, interest in nursing waned and schools experienced difficulty filling classes. In response to this trend and other emerging forces in nursing and healthcare, the UTHSC College of Nursing (CON) made the bold decision to hold the BSN program in abeyance and focus on graduate education as Methodist and other local schools were meeting regional demands for entry-level nursing education. As the new millennium dawned, an even more challenging healthcare environment emerged. The increasing complexity of care in general, emphasis on the need to improve quality, and the burgeoning interest regarding the impact of professional nursing created new demands for nursing practice and education. It was in this environment that schools of nursing experienced a rapid increase in applications. Concurrently, MLH created the new role of senior vice president/chief nurse executive and selected a nurse leader who was charged with oversight for patient care and nursing practice in the multihospital system, including establishing a longrange plan for MHSON.

The challenge of closing the diversity gap: development of Hispanic nursing faculty through a Health Resources and Services Administration Minority Faculty Fellowship Program grant.

Underrepresentation of minority faculty in schools of nursing is well reported. Recently, there have been multiple initiatives from both public and private sectors to alleviate the shortage of minority faculty. This article describes how the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Nursing took advantage of one such initiative: the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Minority Faculty Fellowship Program (MFFP) grant. This program grant provides stipends to enable health professions educational programs to increase the number of faculty who are racial and ethnic minorities underrepresented in the health professions. It enabled the college to recruit a Hispanic nurse and to assist her in preparing for a successful academic career. HRSA provided a stipend in an amount not exceeding 50% of regular faculty salary of the institution for 3 years, to be matched by the institution. Expert faculty mentored the nurses development in the areas of pedagogy, administration and leadership, design and conduct of research, grant writing and scientific writing for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and cultural competence. Dr. Susan Jacob was the project director of the MFFP grant received by the College of Nursing at UTHSC, and Zoila Sanchez, a Cuban American, was the minority faculty fellow supported by an HRSA MFFP grant. Dr. Sanchez was the first minority faculty fellow selected from the nursing profession. Past fellows represented the other health professions such as medicine and dentistry.

Using portfolios to introduce the clinical nurse leader to the job market.

Development of a portfolio is an effective strategy used by clinical nurse leaders (CNLs) to inform prospective employers of their specialized skills in quality improvement, patient safety, error prevention, and teamwork. The portfolio provides evidence of competence relative to the role of clinician, outcomes manager, client advocate, educator, information manager, systems analyst/risk anticipator, team manager, healthcare professional, and lifelong learner. This article describes the CNL portfolio developed by experts from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare. Examples of portfolio documents generated throughout the master’s entry CNL curriculum are provided, along with student experiences using the portfolio in the employment interview process.

FACING IT ALONE: Preholiday Grief

These strategies for coping with the holidays following a loss can be shared not only in a group format such as a preholiday workshop, but also on a one-to-one basis by caring health professionals. To be effective in promoting adaptation to loss, it is vital that health-care professionals heighten their awareness of the needs and reactions of the grieving person. Their sensitivity to the anxiety and pain that can accompany the holiday season must increase. Only when awareness and sensitivity increase will there be an increase in the development of effective bereavement outreach programs. Through such programs the bereaved can experience positive encounters with caring professionals who can help them establish a new sense of hope, purpose, and renewed self-esteem.

Perspectives on hospice.

The term hospice has become more popular in our vocabulary as time passes. As health care professionals, many of us are able to define “hospice”; however, we lack a true understanding of how this concept is evolving within our health care system and our communities. The hospice movement is just over 10 years old and the number of hospices across the United States have multiplied. Growth is positive and necessary; however, hospice is experiencing some problems that may impede successful development both to new and existing hospices. It is imperative that a closer look be taken not only at the achievements but also at the weaknesses that exist within the movement. This article explores some issues felt to be critical to the movement from the personal perspective of two nurses involved with hospice.