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An examination of nursing needs in the Rockford, Illinois area. Michelle Bunyer 1 , Terese Burch 2 , Joel Cowen 1 1 Health Systems Research, UIC College of Medicine 2 Saint Anthony College of Nursing. Introduction. Study conducted by HSR for Saint Anthony College of Nursing
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An examination of nursing needs in the Rockford, Illinois area Michelle Bunyer1, Terese Burch2, Joel Cowen1 1Health Systems Research, UIC College of Medicine 2Saint Anthony College of Nursing
Introduction • Study conducted by HSR for Saint Anthony College of Nursing • Designed to determine: • Skills and personal characteristics desired in today’s nurse • Current and future need for nurses • Ways nursing education programs can better prepare students for employment
Method • Qualitative study conducted in the three-county area surrounding Rockford, Illinois • Structured, in-person interviews: • Directors of Nursing • Vice Presidents of Nursing • Unit Nursing Managers • Human Resources Managers
23 organizations represented (77% response) • 36 individuals interviewed • Hospital • Home health care • Public health • Physician office/clinic • Insurance • Mental health • Nursing home • School district • Ambulatory surgery
20 structured questions • Interviews lasted 30-60 minutes • HSR interviewer, UIC College of Nursing graduate student note-taker • HSR staff member prepared a detailed summary of each session • Session summaries were examined for common themes and opinions for each of the 20 questions
BSN vs. ADN Nurses • Four in ten prefer BSN over ADN, most others have no preference, a few prefer ADN • Pay is the generally the same • Equivalent clinical skills, or ADN better • BSN better for critical thinking, decision-making, organization, global thinking, leadership
Masters Level Nurses • Hospitals, large physician offices/clinics, home health, public health • Provide leadership, good communication skills, global perspective on patient care, ability to conduct research, and patient education skills • Bring credibility to nursing profession among hospital administrators
New Nursing Graduates • Need strong interpersonal skills, willingness to learn, positive attitude • Many are not prepared to perform basic nursing tasks, but can be taught if they have the right attitude • Local hospitals spend much time and money training new graduates to work in specialty units
Experienced Nurses • Need good assessment and critical thinking skills, experience in various settings, strong interpersonal, delegation, and communication skills • Best are patient advocates, team-oriented, open-minded, with strong interpersonal skills
Qualities Difficult to Find • Comfortable delegating basic patient care responsibilities to other members of the health care team • Willingness to work hours needed (nights, weekends, holidays), especially younger nurses • Good interpersonal skills
Work Place Adaptation • Unit culture in hospitals, intense working environment • Slow pace, non-technical nature of long-term care • Independence for school and home health • Working in the field for community mental health and home health
Current Nursing Supply • Nursing shortage for hospitals, home health, long-term care • Lack of nurses with specialty experience • Departure from hospital setting • Demand for ICU, CCU, OR, ER, Telemetry • Sufficient supply for clinics, public health, school systems, state agencies, ambulatory surgery
Future Nursing Demand • According to IDES, 19.4% increase in RN positions from 1996 to 2006 • Extensive growth for home health, long-term care, slower for hospitals • Could face a shortage in home health, long-term care, hospitals • Even with use of more nurse extenders to provide basic patient care, RNs will always be needed for their advanced training
Nursing as a Career • Would not advise: irregular, long hours, physical and emotional stress, liability, low pay for high responsibility, lack of respect from physicians • Would advise: emotional fulfillment, various career opportunities, flexible scheduling, job availability
Improving Nursing Education • Require more clinical hours through hands-on experience • Carry full patient load and work a full shift • Obtain specialty experience before licensure • Provide a curriculum that applies theory to practice • Provide activities to develop leadership and delegation skills