Group items tagged

An interesting article about an APRN fellowship. It is a yearlong program that has classroom sessions, simulations, and peer-to-peer support networks. The program is aimed at facilitating the APRN transition and reducing burnout. It seems to have some good results!

BACKGROUND: The trauma service experienced preventable delays caused by an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education work restrictions and a 16% increase in patient census. Furthermore, nurses needed a consistently accessible provider for the coordination of care. We hypothesized that using experienced acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) on the stepdown unit would improve throughput and decrease length of stay (LOS) and hospital charges. Moreover, we hypothesized that adding ACNPs would improve staff satisfaction. On December 1, 2011, the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Division of Trauma reassigned ACNPs to the stepdown area 5 days a week for a pilot program. METHODS: LOS data from December 1, 2011 through December 1, 2012 was compared with data from the same months from the previous two years and estimated hospital charges and patient days were extrapolated. Physician and nursing surveys were performed. Data from 2010 (n = 2,559) and 2011 (n= 2,671) were averaged and the mean LOS for the entire trauma service was 7.2 days. After adding an experienced ACNP, the average LOS decreased to 6.4 days, a 0.8 day reduction. Per patient, there was a $ 9,111.50 savings in hospital charges, for a reduction of $27.8 million dollars in hospital charges over the 12 month pilot program. RESULTS: A confidential survey administered to attending physicians showed that 100% agreed that a nurse practitioner in the stepdown area was beneficial and helped throughput. Dayshift nurses were surveyed, and 100% agreed or strongly agreed that the ACNPs were knowledgeable about the patient's plan of care, experienced in the care of trauma patients, and improved patient care overall. CONCLUSION: The addition of experienced ACNPs resulted in the decrease of overall trauma service LOS, saving almost $9 million in hospital charges

An article that discusses a framework for transition as an RN to a FNP.

This article shares an experience of an NP in Nevada who had been trying to care for patients in under served areas but was having difficulty finding MDs to sign agreements with in those areas. This inhibited her ability to treat people in need but, thankfully, a new law was passed July 1 that enabled her to treat these people to the full extent her education taught her to, without having to rely on an agreement with an MD. It is important for us to remain aware of our scope of practice but also to fight for our ability to practice to the full extent we're being taught to do.

This article is an interesting read about the policy change in North Dakota that brought independent prescriptive privileges to advanced practice nurses. The nurse leaders behind this policy change have shared the experience with other states with the goal of providing an example of an effective model of change.

Here's a good, quick article that gives tips for the transition from RN/student to an APRN in the workplace.

Created October 28, 2007 by Sarah M. Lawrence and Michael O'Brien Health care is an increasingly diverse field where many specialties interact to provide patient care. The team approach to caring for patients includes many professionals performing a variety of specialized functions designed to meet the physical, emotional and psychological needs of the patient.

NAPNAP Position Statement on Age Parameters for Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Practice

This article details the age and scope of practice for Pediatric Nurse Practioners based on NAPNAP guidelines. This helps to guide both institutions and practioners with an age related scope of practice.

How to write an elevator speech

This article discusses the stressors that a novice NP may face in providing quality care. Many programs provide adequate content and clinical exposure, but mentorship may be an effective strategy for novice NPs to transition into the role of a competent healthcare provider.

This is an article that discusses possible frameworks for phases of transition from student RN to becoming an FNP. With the limited research that has been done in the area it is difficult to know exactly how to support students in their transition to be a provider, but this is a foundation which can be built upon.

This article describes feeling like a fraud once in a new role as an advanced practice nurse. It also speaks to how this is a normal feeling and suggests different ways to cope with these feelings to make the transition easier.

Course concentrating on transition to APRN practice

Interesting (and very truthful) article on the transition into FNP and the multiple factors/challenges that come along with it..i.e. support system, surrounding environment, how an individual copes, etc. It discusses how exciting the graduate school experience can be, yet how simultaneously it can be very intimidating to enter into the "real world" of being an APRN.

J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2010 Jul;22(7):356-60. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7599.2010.00522.x. This is a useful article written by one of my former professors at Johns Hopkins. I think it provides great insight into transitioning process of becoming an APRN. This article outlines the important areas in which to consider when accepting and working at your first job as an APRN. It compliments the panel today very well.

J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2010 Jul;22(7):356-60. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7599.2010.00522.x.