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Answering the call Three area nurses tell their stories
Salute to Nurses Meet the six dedicated professionals who were honored
Nursing Academy Accelerated bachelor’s degree program debuts this fall
Q U A R T E R LY
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Nurses & CNAs
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Cover:
Shelly Brosseau, Marian University nursing student
Cover photo: Marc Lebryk
Inside 4-6
On the Pulse
Careers & Training 8-9 Nursing Academy 10 Book helps nurses rise to top 12 Nursing education 14-16 Answering the call 17-18 Men in nursing
20-21 22
Your World Q&A with Brandon Lee Novel nurses
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PUT YOUR CAREER ON TRACK… …with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree for registered nurses who have a diploma or associate degree in nursing: • RN-BSN Completion Program …or with a Master of Science in Nursing degree focused on your area of interest: • MSN Informatics track • MSN Administration track • MSN Education track • MSN-MBA program
765.641.4383 • 866.575.7148 toll-free www.anderson.edu/academics/nursing
On the Pulse
Promotions, workshops, awards
ISU nursing professor recognized for community-based learning Roseanne Fairchild, assistant professor of nursing at Indiana State University, received the CommunityBased Learning and Scholarship Award during the university’s Faculty Recognition Banquet in April. The award recognizes Fairchild outstanding faculty who have made serving the community an integral part of their academic goals and activities. Fairchild has 17 years’ experience as a higher education faculty member in the areas of nursing administration, nursing education, health informatics, medical-surgical and critical care nursing, pharmacology, and anatomy and physiology. In the clinical practice arena, she has 10 years’ experience in emergency and critical care nursing, traumatic brain injury, cardio-pulmonary nursing, and hospice/palliative care. As nurse faculty, she consistently involves her students in experientially based service-learning opportunities in an effort to benefit regional rural and urban communities.
Indiana ENA Symposium When: June 20, 2013 Where: Marriott East, Indianapolis Keynote Speaker: Deb Delaney, RN, MS, CEN Senior Consultant: Blue Jay Consulting Topic: Service excellence in the ED: How to change our perception from pit bull to puppy dog Information: www.indianaena.org/
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Cardiac nurse is a Health Care Hero
Jean Hafley, LPN, was honored as a Health Care Hero by the Indianapolis Business Journal for her commitment to patient care and long-time nursing career at Franciscan Physician Network Indiana Heart Physicians. She won in the non-physician category for her work as an advocate for heart failure patients and their families. “Jean devotes large amounts of time to teaching patients and families about their new and chronic diagnosis of heart failure,” said Mary Benjamin, practice operations executive at Franciscan Physician Network. “She has a genuine interest in their care, and patients feel as if Jean is a part of their extended family.” Hafley began her career as a volunteer candy striper. After earning her LPN, she worked in geriatrics and later joined Franciscan St. Francis Health as a bedside nurse. She then shifted to the outpatient setting working at the first heart failure clinic in Indiana. She came to IHP in 2001 and began growing the services of the Heart Failure Care Clinic under the directorship of cardiologists specializing in heart failure.
Midwives approved In April, the Senate voted 28 to 22 to legalize direct-entry midwives in Indiana — the first time the chamber has considered the longtime proposal. It is currently a felony to practice midwifery without a license in Indiana. Until now, Indiana has only licensed certified nurse midwives, which means a registered nurse licensed by the state. Supporters of a wider midwifery law contend current nurse midwives are not meeting the needs — especially in more rural areas, including serving the Amish. House Bill 1135 passed the House using a national certification recognized in other states. But the Senate version is stricter, including having minimum educational requirements and having midwives work
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Go to www.indystar.com/salutetonurses and read about the 2013 honored nurses.
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On the Pulse directly with a supervising physician. A change in the bill no longer makes those doctors immune from liability. Directentry midwives also must obtain liability insurance. The bill now moves to the House to decide if they will accept the changes or seek a compromise. Source: The Journal Gazette
NP will be integral to new Crawfordsville clinic Construction of the Dr. Mary Ludwig Free Clinic is in the final stages, but before its doors can open in August, a nurse practitioner must be hired to oversee the day-to-day operations.
“We must find the right nurse practitioner who can provide a continuity of care,” said Bill Doemel, executive director of the Montgomery County Free Clinic Board. “While many Crawfordsville physicians, nurse practitioners and dentists have agreed to volunteer their time at the clinic, we are seeking a nurse practitioner who will be here to coordinate these volunteers.” The nurse practitioner and a nurse manager will be the only two paid, part-time staff. The remaining staff will be part of an organization called Volunteers in Medicine, a national nonprofit agency dedicated to building a network of sustainable free primary health care clinics for the
uninsured. There are 93 clinics in the VIM Alliance nationwide. Crawfordsville’s will be the third in Indiana. The other two are located in Bloomington and Columbus. The clinic will provide basic dental and medical care to Montgomery Co. residents who live below the 200 percent poverty level and aren’t covered by Medicaid. It is expected to serve 3,000 to 5,000 adults and children who don’t have access to insurance. Those interested in learning more about the nurse practitioner’s position can see a job description online at www.mcfree clinic.org/employment. Source: Journal Review
Franciscan St. Francis Health nurses honored
Bruce
For DAISY Award winners, nursing is a calling that goes above and beyond the call of duty. Shannon Bruce, RN, a dialysis nurse at the Indianapolis campus, was nominated for the special things she does for her patients. “Shannon frequently does special things for her patients including giving Valentine’s Day cards, and most recently getting flowers for a patient to give to his wife on their anniversary,” explained the co-worker who nominated her. Dolores Grah, RN, a critical care unit nurse at the Indianapolis campus, was nominated by a co-worker who noted that she helped a patient beyond her usual nursing duties. “She bathed layers of dirt off his body, lotioned his skin, washed his clothes and bought him a new pair of shoes,” wrote the co-worker. Bret Stevens, an emergency department nurse at the Mooresville campus, was nominated by a co-worker for being far more than a great nurse and colleague. “Bret stepped in, took control of the situation and cared for a little girl like a father would,” commented a co-worker. Mandy Watkins, a critical care unit nurse at the Indianapolis campus, was nominated by a patient’s family member. “I found nurse Mandy to be an extremely competent, thorough, highly-trained, personable and caring individual,” said the patient’s family member, who nominated Watkins.” The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses honors nurses’ compassionate care and clinical excellence. It was established by the DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died at 33 of an auto-immune disease. His family was so impressed by the clinical skills, caring and compassion of the nurses who cared for him that they created the national award.
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On the Pulse St. Vincent and Ivy Tech team up Ivy Tech Community College and St. Vincent Health Ministries have partnered to create the St. Vincent Clinical Education Center at Ivy Tech Anderson’s 53rd Street campus. “Documented research shows that 90 percent of community college students remain in their community after graduating,” said Ivy Tech President Thomas J. Snyder. The center includes a state-of-the-art, multi-function hospital educational simulation lab. Collaboration between Ivy Tech’s School of Nursing, School of Health Sciences and St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital’s nursing and educational departments resulted in an elaborate design for the 6,500-square-foot center. Eight simulation laboratories will immerse students in hands-on education with patient simulators from across the lifespan, allowing them to experience realistic patient-care scenarios. Through application of clinical nursing skills and critical thinking, students will learn how to respond to medical conditions in a safe, professionally guided and supportive environment. The center is an adaptable training space that recreates clinical experiences such as: ■ Level III trauma/operating room ■ Emergency/clinical beds ■ Physician examination room ■ Reception/nursing station ■ Labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum room ■ NICU/respiratory therapy “Our mission at Ivy Tech is to provide the Anderson and east central Indiana community with the most highly skilled and prepared health care professionals possible,” said Jim Willey, vice chancellor/dean of the Ivy Tech Anderson campus. “We feel this is absolutely essential as we offer a wide variety of certification and degree programs tailored to the needs of our local health care providers.” Source: Inside Indiana Business
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“ The clinical education center will benefit our entire region by attracting the best and most highly skilled nurses to further our mission.” — Tom VanOsdol, St. Vincent
northeast region president
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Careers & Training
By Shauna Nosler
Nursing Academy
More than 2,000 qualified nursing applicants were turned away from Indiana nursing schools in one recent year due to staffing shortages and other systemic problems, according to the 2010 “Statewide Survey of Nursing Programs” report from the Indiana Nursing Workforce Development Center. To address this critical issue, the Ball State University School of Nursing and Community Health Network developed an accelerated bachelor’s degree program. The program will debut this fall with a class of 24 students. After three years of study, students will be prepared to transition into practice, said Adams Cindy Adams, PhD, APRN-BC, RN, chief nursing officer for Community Health Network.
A call to action Adams has been a nurse for more than 30 years. With a BSN from Ball State, and MSN and PhD degrees from Indiana University, she’s seen her fair share of classrooms. And while the learning environment has changed
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over time, nursing education has otherwise remained the same. “There is a national call to action for academic centers and practice facilities to get together and collaborate to reengineer nursing education,” she said. “Our new graduates are struggling on the practical side. We need to prepare them better.” Adams points to a landmark 2010 study, “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,” conducted by the Institute of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report cites a nursing shortage of 40 to 50 percent nationwide. It also recommends increasing the proportion of nurses who hold baccalaureate degrees to 80 percent by 2020. The report is available online at www.thefutureofnursing.org/iom-report.
Wanted: 800,000 nurses The Council on Physician and Nurse Supply — a national multidisciplinary organization of health care professionals — is addressing the shortage of physicians and the rapid depletion of practicing nurses in the U.S. The shortages are compounded by an aging U.S. population and because as many as 1 million current nurses are expected to retire over the next seven years. If more nurses aren’t trained now, the organization claims,
the long-term consequences are many (see Page 9). To address the issue, CPNS advises expanding nursing education and increasing the emphasis on training baccalaureate-level professionals. Research supports a strong relationship between the level of nursing education and the quality and safety of patient care.
Indiana responds The Nursing Academy will offer an accelerated bachelor’s-degree program. The first class of students begins this fall; a second group will begin next spring. When creating the academy’s curriculum, a primary objective was to make it easier for students to attend classes, Adams said. Technology will play a key role in meeting this objective. Undergrads will take classes at Ball State online and through video conferencing. Students also will gain on-the-job training at hospitals within the Community Health Network. Linda Siktberg, PhD, RN, ANEF, director of the Ball State School of Nursing, said the program will serve qualified students who are turned away Siktberg
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from other nursing programs in the state. “As competition increases for these limited enrollment spots, qualified applicants may be turning to other career paths,” Siktberg said. “The hard truth is that health care delivery systems cannot afford to lose potential nurses at this current rate.” With such a small class size, admission to the Nursing Academy will be competitive. Prospective students must meet all prerequisites and be accepted at Ball State before they may apply for the academy. The first group of students is now being considered. “We are looking for the cream of the crop,” Adams said.
Show me the money Joyce Irwin, president and CEO of the Community Health Network Foundation, is excited about the academy. The foundation hopes to solicit donations to fund 100 percent of students’ tuition costs. Irwin The published tuition at the Ball State School of Nursing is $4,159 per semester for in-state students. “The goal of the foundation is to raise $500,000 to fund these scholarships,” Irwin said. The Physicians Medical Society
of Community Hospital North and Community Hospital East donated $100,000. “We are very grateful toward any donation,” Irwin said. “Any amount helps provide the needed financial resources to pay for schooling.”
More than money The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that RNs earn $64,690 on average per year, according to 2010 data, while LPNs gross nearly 40 percent less, or $40,380. But nurses say becoming an RN is about more than the difference in pay. “An RN has a different level of practice,” Adams said. “They have an expanded scope to assist them with
patient assessment, coordination and delegation on the job.” The best nurses — RNs or otherwise — are those who are fervent about their work. “I had a young woman come up to me one afternoon because she read my name badge,” Adams said. The woman explained that she was working to save enough money to attend school, because her lifelong dream was to become a nurse. “That’s the passion we are wasting,” Adams said, when driven students are unable to pursue their goals. Fortunately, Central Indiana’s new Nursing Academy is striving to provide educational opportunities for aspiring nurses. ●
Not enough nurses, dire consequences The Council on Physician and Nurse Supply predicts a variety of negative consequences unless more nurses are educated and trained to meet growing demand in the U.S. The impact could include: ■
Inadequate access to care, particularly among patients in rural and urban communities.
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iminished capacity for health care workers to respond appropriately in emergency D situations.
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ecreased ability to expand health care services, with the potential for local and D national economies to suffer as a result.
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I ncreased dependence on foreign nurses and physicians. This could worsen the “brain drain” that’s already crippling developing countries, while at the same time depriving American students of the opportunity to become high-level health professionals. Indiana Nursing Quarterly
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Careers & Training
Brooke Baker
Book seeks to help nurses rise to the top
More nurses are pursuing a career path that leads them into board rooms and executive offices — and a new book by Connie Curran and Therese A. Fitzpatrick wants to help them get there. The book, “Claiming the Corner Office: Executive Leadership Lessons for Nurses,” guides nurses along an executive track. It combines business and leadership advice with real-world anecdotes. Also featured are interviews with seven successful nurses who transferred their patient care skills into high-level leadership positions. “As you come up through the nursing education highway, all of us come from the same conceptual framework in terms of the nursing process and how we problemsolve,” Fitzpatrick said. “In nursing school we apply it to patients and patient care. How do we look at someone and begin to take a very deliberate, systematic approach to collecting data, not jumping to conclusions, looking at qualitative and quantitative data … and coming up with potential solutions, testing them, reevaluating them? Every single one of our interviewees talked about using “ Claiming the Corner Office: that process of problem solving in Executive Leadership their leadership roles.” Lessons for Nurses” by All the interviewed nurses also Connie Curran, EdD, said they became executives in order to help the greatest number RN, FAAN, and Therese of people. Fitzpatrick, PhD, RN “No one really started out and Published by Sigma Theta said, ‘I want to be a CEO.’ They Tau International, the book all started out wanting to be a retails for $39.95 and is great nurse and found they could available through all major influence nursing and patient care booksellers. better from managerial positions,” Curran said. The book’s format is easy to digest so that busy nurses can read and understand it quickly.
“One of our reviewers said we tell an interesting, easy-to-read story with some really important business lessons in it,” Curran said. “It’s not a typical business book at all, but it’s more than just an interesting set of stories.” Key characteristics of high-achieving nurses include a dedication to patient care, motivation and willingness to take risks to advance. “What we found often was nurses who were really passionate about doing the best thing they could for patients and caregivers,” Curran said. “It was their passion for patient care that gave them the courage to take a risk and reach for a higher job.” Other shared characteristics include determination and optimism, Fitzpatrick added. Most of the nurses had experienced setbacks and disappointments but managed to view those experiences in a positive light. “The resilience they all had as they approached their careers was amazing,” she said. The authors encourage nurses to seek out mentors — from inside the industry and out — to help them develop needed skills. “One of the things we’ve found with each of our case studies was that every single one of them at some point had a mentor who wasn’t a nurse,” Fitzpatrick said. “Leadership skills cut across all industries, not just nursing and health care.” ●
About the authors
Curran
Fitzpatrick
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Connie Curran is the chief executive officer of Best on Board, a faculty member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a board member for Hospira, DeVry and DePaul University. She is the former chairman of Silver Cross Hospital and was the editor of Nursing Economic$ magazine for 18 years. She has more than 200 publications and research programs to her credit. Therese A. Fitzpatrick is the executive vice president of Assay Healthcare Solutions. She has served as the chief nursing officer and chief operating officer in academic and health care systems. She was a founding partner of The Optimé Group and former chief executive of AMR ProNurse.
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Careers & Training
Deanna Morris
Registering nurses:
A history of nursing education
The air smelled of smoke and sweat and antiseptic. The burned-out walls, marbled with bullet holes, rose in front of her as she drew aside the hospital drapes. Tanks rolled down crumbled streets nearby. Behind the thin curtains, most of the patients were soldiers. There were two ways to be discharged from this makeshift hospital: patched up or passed on.
Jorg Hackemann / Shutterstock.com
This scene is one of many in the history of the nursing professional. Through domestic and international wars, changing time periods and evolving technology, nurses have been essential in treating the mental and physical conditions of patients. Nursing in fact began in the barracks. In the Crimean War of 1854, a British woman named Florence Nightingale nursed the wounded — and modern nursing began. This also marked the beginning of nursing education, however informal. Nurses of the era learned from doctors and on the job. When that war ended, Nightingale received funding to start a nursing school; some of the funds came
The Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C., is dedicated to the women of the United States who served in the Vietnam War — most of whom were nurses.
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from soldiers who’d served in the Crimean War. At St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, England, student nurses went to classes and worked under doctors’ supervision. Across the pond, the Civil War was a catalyst for nursing schools in the U.S. In 1872, the first school for nurses opened, initially offering a two-year program and then a three-year curriculum. In 1893, the Chicago World’s Fair showcased a changing society. Along with the first Ferris wheel, the Pledge of Allegiance and hamburgers, the fair featured a major conference to promote higher education. That same year, the American Society of Superintendents of Training Schools for Nurses was formed. Professional organizations like this one played a major role in establishing universal standards for nurse training. The roots of this particular organization began with the Nurse Practice Acts, which required all practicing nurses to be licensed and registered. The first statewide nurse examinations began later, in 1913. The Committee on Education was formed in 1918 to establish universal standards for nurse training. A year later, in 1919, the Rockefeller Foundation funded the Committee for the Study of Nursing Education in the U.S. A social worker named Josephine Goldmark chaired the committee and was its prime investigator. The Goldmark Report, published in 1923, validated contemporary thinking that nursing education was inadequate. The committee made appropriate recommendations, and the Rockefeller Foundation responded with action. The foundation provided the means and clout to begin experimenting with new methods of study and training. This project eventually became the Yale University School of Nursing. Yale was the first school to embrace an academic approach to nursing, backed by the administrative structure already present in universities. The school soon had its own dean, faculty and budget. Along with nursing education came accreditation. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing was founded in 1969 to focus on baccalaureate and graduate programs. In 1997, the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission was established. All nursing accreditation was assumed by this body. The profession that began in war often has flourished in times of war. During World War II, the demand for medical care required more nurses to be trained. The Bolton Nurse Training Act of 1943 provided funding to educate new workers. In 1964, as part of the “Great Society” vision of Lyndon Johnson, the Nurse Training Act was passed. A year later the American Nursing Association produced a report directing that all nursing education be taught at the college level. Baccalaureate degrees were required for nurses in leadership roles. In other nursing jobs, an associate’s degree became the minimum. Nursing today offers abundant opportunities to serve, learn and grow. Positions include cardiac care, case management, certified nurse midwifery and clinic leadership. Practice fields include developmental disability nursing, diabetes care and domestic violence, as well as forensics and neuroscientific nursing. And, of course, military nursing remains an important role in times of both trial and peace. ●
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Careers & Training
By Julie Young
“ You really do something important every day.” —Liz O’Neil, RN, MSN, CFNP
Answering the to
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A Marian University student, Shelly Brosseau (above), earned a $3,500 scholarship from The Indianapolis Star as the Honored Nurse Student of the Year.
Nurses cite a number of compelling reasons for choosing their profession. Some are born with a passion to care for people who are hurting. Others were moved after seeing a nurse in action. No matter what initially inspired them, most nurses believe they were called to their vocation — and they cannot imagine doing anything else. Heart on the line Shelly Brosseau decided to become a nurse after witnessing the care given to her late husband, Cameron, as he battled pancreatic cancer. The couple interacted closely with many nurses, and each one generously helped Brosseau learn skills to care for her ailing husband. “I learned how to give shots, change dressings and assess his condition,” she said. “Those nurses constantly reinforced the idea that I could make a huge difference in someone’s life.” After her husband’s passing, Brosseau enrolled in Marian University’s 16-month accelerated nursing program. She is working rotations at St. Vincent Health and
expects to graduate in December 2013 with a BSN degree. While she strives to maintain emotional and professional distance with patients, Brosseau said she puts her heart on the line with each one. “That person is someone’s mother, father, brother, sister or child. I try to care for them in the same way I would want my own family member cared for,” she said. While nurses can’t fix everything, she said, they can make a huge difference by providing reliable care and advocating for patients and their families. “I’m pretty passionate about my work, and I feel I am on the path I need to be on,” Brosseau said.
Opportunity to grow Janis Watts, MSN, RN, NE-BC, made the decision to become a nurse in high school, at a time when women had fewer career options. Yet to her, nursing offered unlimited possibilities. “In 1977, girls could be a nurse, a teacher, a secretary or stay at home and raise kids,” she said. The mother of Watts’ best friend was a nurse, and her own high school guidance counselor helped her land a “candy striper” position in a local nursing home. “When I gradated from Lutheran Hospital Nursing School, I assumed I’d be at the patient’s side forever, but this is an evolving and growing field that has allowed me to do a number of things.” Watts went on to earn a BSN degree from Purdue University and an MSN from the Indiana University School of Nursing. After serving several roles in hospital settings, Watts now is the director of nurse practice for
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Careers & Training
Advancement in Nursing Award recipient, Renee Twibell
Saluting the difference makers On April 24, The Indianapolis Star sponsored the 11th annual Salute to Nurses awards luncheon at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. The event brought together Sharing her passion for learning (and humor), Janis Watts (left) oversees clinical education and informatics at IU 500 guests to honor individuals who Health North Hospital. consider nursing their calling as well as their occupation. Two-time cancer survivor providing preventive care to help IU Health North Hospital, where Conor Cunneen was the program emcee people stay healthy and well. Every she oversees clinical education and and keynote speaker. day brings a new and different informatics. This year, more than 1,000 nurses situation, and O’Neil enjoys being able “I have a real passion for lifelong were nominated for awards by colleagues, to treat the individual rather than a learning, and this profession families and friends. particular diagnosis. constantly Shelly Brosseau, a Marian “We have a chance to get a picture allows me to University student, earned a of the whole person. I appreciate the evolve and $3,500 scholarship as the chance to work with patients in a grow. I’ve clinic setting similar to what drew me seen so many Honored Nurse Student of to the profession in the first place,” changes over the Year. Renee Twibell, PhD, she said. “You really do something the years, RN, CNE, of the Ball State important every day.” ● and it is School of Nursing, received important the Advancement of Nursing for any nurse Award for educating future to maintain nurses in ways that are fun, that passion exciting and interesting. for learning Ruth Kueper and her husband, Tom, at the Salute to Liz O’Neil, MSN, BSN, Nurses awards luncheon in April. and say CFNP, BS, was honored yes to the with the Community Outreach Award for opportunities that come along,” Watts her work with the North Central Nursing said. “You never know where they Clinics and Family Health Clinic of Monon, might lead.” while Ruth Kueper, RN, took home the Inspiration Award for her volunteer service Doing something every day with the Trinity Free Clinic in Carmel. A missionary midwife in West Africa “This is a unique way of recognizing the inspired Liz O’Neil, RN, MSN, CFNP, to enter the nursing field. While living great work that nurses do, and it means a and working abroad as an English lot,” Kueper said. teacher, O’Neil had the opportunity to Janis Watts, MSN, RN, NE-BC, was volunteer with that nurse in a small, named Nurse Educator of the Year, and rustic health clinic. Jayne Emerick, MSN, ANP, received the “I loved the way she could pick Lifetime of Compassion Award as well as up the local languages, and I was Nurse of the Year honors for her work with The Indianapolis Star’s impressed by her skills and ability to patients at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Salute to Nurses work in a culture that was so much Medical Center in Indianapolis. Lifetime of Compassion Award different from our own,” O’Neil said. “Veterans mean everything — they are and Nurse of the Year recipient, After becoming a nurse herself, so very important to our country,” Emerick Jayne Emerick, MSN, ANP O’Neil decided to work not in a said. “They are very dear to my heart.” hospital but in the community, 16
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Careers & Training
More men drawn to careers in nursing “Being someone’s ray of light in the darkest of hours is a pretty cool thing.” —Wm. Thad Tindall, BSN, RN
SUBMITTED PHOTO
When not serving as director of nursing and patient care services for IU Health, Wm. Thad Tindall, BSN, RN, (above) spends time with his family.
In 1970, less than 4 percent of nurses were men. More than four decades later, that percentage has more than doubled. And, according to a February study by the U.S. Census Bureau, more men are expected to enter the profession. Pride and prejudice: A brief history of male nurses Historically, men have been nurses for a very long time. Well before Florence Nightingale broke through the battlefield barrier in the Crimean War, men were there on the spot, caring for the sick and wounded. Eventually, stigmas and even legal barriers began to discourage or prevent men from becoming nurses. In 1901, the Army Nurse Corps was founded — but only women were allowed. During World War II, men were denied entry in the Nurse Corps even when they volunteered to work on the front lines. And up through the early 1980s, many statefunded nursing schools banned men from admission. Today, due in part to an aging U.S. population and a widespread shortage of nurses, those same schools are striving to enroll more men in their programs. The recent Census study, “Men in Nursing Occupations,” found that recruitment of men into nursing programs, combined with high wages and expanding opportunities, have made the field an attractive choice for both genders. The study states that the profession’s stability, even during economic recessions, adds to its appeal.
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Your World Life Flight and rays of light Wm. Thad Tindall, BSN, RN, director of nursing and patient care services, resource center and recruitment at Indiana University Health, wanted to work in the health care field from a young age. Raised in a small Southern Indiana town, he was awestruck by medical helicopters that would swoop in to pick up patients for transport to the big city. “We had a small critical access hospital in town, so it was a big deal when Life Flight came in. Everyone would drive up and watch people being taken to the helicopter,” he said. That experience sparked his interest. Tindall “Being someone’s ray of light in their darkest of hours is a pretty cool thing,” he added. He was in the minority when he enrolled in nursing school at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville. “I was probably one of five (men) in a class of 60,” he said. “And I think only three of us graduated. It’s definitely a female-dominated profession, but there are more men now than there were 15 years ago.” Tindall attributes some of this growth to an unstable economy, where it’s common for companies to downsize and displace workers. More men are choosing nursing as a second career, either because they were dissatisfied in previous jobs or because they saw nursing as a solid career choice. However they choose to cross the threshold, Tindall hopes their job satisfaction will keep them there. “It’s very gratifying to know you’re there to help people get better,” he said.
Opportunities abound in nursing for all Women far outnumber men in the nursing field, but men tend to earn more on average — $60,700 compared to $51,100 per year. The discrepancy may largely be due to the fact that males tend to pursue specialized — and therefore higher-paying — positions. Listed below are four nursing jobs, along with the licensure requirements and average pay for males in these positions. ■
L icensed practical and licensed vocational nurses provide patient care and may work under the supervision of an RN. Eight percent are men, with average earnings of $40,200 annually. A license is required.
■
egistered nurses assess patients’ R health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, maintain medical records and administer care. Men make up 9 percent of all RNs; their average pay is $61,900. Licensing or registration is required.
■
urse anesthetists administer N and monitor patients’ recovery from anesthesia. Forty-one percent are men, and the average pay is $162,900. A specialized graduatelevel education is required.
■
urse practitioners diagnose and N treat illnesses. They may order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests. In some states, NPs can prescribe medication. Nine percent are men, and the average salary is $96,400. A specialized graduatelevel education is required.
Nursing as a second career Greg Ingle, BSN, RN, works in Hendricks Regional Health’s emergency department. But he first earned degrees in biology and communications from Indiana University. “I worked construction throughout college and ended up going back to that after graduation,” he said. “But I knew it wasn’t what I really wanted to do.” A good friend at the time — a nurse — told Ingle about a mission trip to Rwanda. “René had these amazing stories. They inspired me, so I applied to nursing school,” he said. Ingle didn’t believe he’d get in, so he was both shocked and excited to receive an acceptance letter. “There are a lot of unsatisfied people in their jobs,” he said. “But I really enjoyed school and am happy doing what I do now.” Ingle believes more men may be drawn to all of the opportunities within the nursing profession. Now employed by Hendricks Regional Health, Greg Ingle, BSN, RN, once “Once you have a worked as a nurse for NASCAR. nursing degree, you can do so many things. I was a nurse for NASCAR for a while and know people who have gotten into all kinds of jobs — insurance, sales,” he said. “There’s always going to be sick people, and they’re always going to need nurses to take care of them.” And as any nurse knows, “There’s a lot more to nursing these days than bedside care,” he said. ●
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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Standard Occupational Classification, www.bls.gov/soc
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Your World
By Deb Buehler
Q: Why did you pursue a career in nursing? A: I had college friends who were nurses, and they made it sound like a great idea. During my sophomore year at Indiana University I joined the Indiana National Guard. At about the same time, I changed from dentistry to nursing because there were so many opportunities in the army.
with Brandon Lee NP-C, CCRN
Q: What course did your career take from there? A: I graduated in 1999 and became a critical care trauma nurse at Methodist Hospital. I went through several different roles coinciding with my service in the army. In 2001, I became a nurse in the army. At the time I wanted to be a nurse anesthetist. I had been accepted into a program at the University of Michigan. On the very first day of classes there, I received notice that I was to report to Indianapolis in five hours for deployment. I deployed to Iraq as a critical care nurse. Q: What did you learn from your experiences serving in Iraq? A: It was only a six-month deployment, and I was part of a forward surgical team. I was the first to be deployed in that capacity with Special Forces. I learned that there were a lot of opportunities in the area of family nurse practitioners. I came back and in 2006 earned a degree from Indiana Wesleyan. I also got married and had two wonderful stepchildren. By the time I was done with the NP program, my first child had arrived. At about that time I also joined the Wishard team. I’d done an ER externship at Wishard in 1998, so I was familiar with the hospital. I worked first in ER critical care. Q: Describe your work at Wishard. A: I report to Lee Ann Blue, chief nursing officer, and I was technically the first inpatient NP hired by Wishard. Then I was offered a job as NP in vascular and thoracic surgery. That includes having the opportunity to see people as both inpatients and outpatients, before and after surgery. I’m one of the few NPs around who actually does surgery.
I’m not just a nurse... I’m inventing a new model of health care. With more than 80,000 RNs, APNs, LPNs/LVNs and nursing assistants, VA is the Nation’s largest employer of nurses. We serve this nation’s heroes proudly! We would like to thank all of our nurses for the compassion, caring and knowledge that you show our veterans each and every day. If you would like to join this great team of nurses and have the freedom to practice at any one of the over 1,400 The VA medical facilities throughout the 50 states, the Best District of Columbia and other U.S. territories with Care one active state license and wonderful benefits, The go to www.usajobs.gov for career opportunities. Best
Careers
Roudebush VA MedICAL CeNTeR For all job postings and to apply online, visit www.usAjobs.goV Hiring Veterans and Non-Veterans.
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Your World Quite often, patients recognize me because they see me more than anyone else. I work with Dr. Karen Rieger, Dr. George Akingba and Dr. Andres Fajardo. They are all wonderful physicians. Here at Wishard we deal mainly with lung-related procedures, including cancer, infections and trauma. We are a residency education facility, so I work with surgical residents, medical students, (physician assistant) students and NP medical students. As a result, I’m the chair of the NP council, where we help identify issues for NPs and PAs because the field is still growing. Q: And you’ve continued to serve in the military? A: In 2011, I deployed to Iraq again. The opportunity was unique. I was supposed to go as a general medical provider, but ended up being the brigade surgeon and the medical liaison for the commander. As an NP, I am one of only 10 to 20 flight surgeons in the entire army. I can also do the necessary occupational medicine for pilots in the Indiana National Guard and the U.S. Army. Q: What do you tell others about careers in nursing? A: You can do so many other things with nursing. You can go into sales, and there are patient care and clinical options. You can work with other professions as a nurse, too. It is a high-quality profession that is respected and pays the bills. It is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My wife and I now have five children, and by being a nurse I’ve never been afraid
of a dirty diaper or a baby throwing up. It has all gone hand in hand. Nursing has paid me in personal growth as well as the opportunities to help people. Those opportunities have been outstanding. ●
The future of nurse practitioners Nurse practitioners could be an answer to the country’s growing shortage of physicians, said Brandon Lee, NP-C, CCRN. “I know everyone is trying to find the answer to coverage for universal health care. One of the saving graces is the role of nurse practitioners as providers,” he said. “Physicians have moved to more specialties and subspecialties, and the family care providers aren’t there. The NP’s general role answers that.” Lee’s training set him up for work in a primary care office, and his on-the-job experiences prepared him to work as an NP in vascular and thoracic surgery for Wishard Hospital. In this role he’s had opportunities to grow, learn and help others. Currently a major in the U.S. Army, Lee hopes to pursue a doctor of nursing practice, or DNP, degree. All levels of nursing degrees funnel into this credential, he said.
A
You comfort. You help heal. You educate.
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Revise a
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Your World
By Deanna Morris
novels
Nursing the nurse through After hours of caring for patients, how do nurses rest up and recharge? Some choose to spend their off time in the fictitious world of nursing. Many well-regarded current novels and beloved classics employ a nurse as a central character.
Take Ernest Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms,” for example. A reader could make a case that the main nurse in the story, Catherine Barkley, is not a suitable role model for the modern woman. But as a nurse, Barkley is champion for victims, even when she herself becomes a victim of love. For readers who prefer a strong, intrepid leading lady, the Cherry Ames nursing series from Helen Wells is an option. The books, written between 1943 and 1968, were ahead of their time. In each of 27 mystery stories, Ames works as a nurse in a multitude of settings while solving problems and capturing criminals. In “The English Patient,” the book-turned-movie by Michael Ondaatje, the central figure is a nurse who tends to her patient both physically and emotionally. Although dayto-day nursing may not present all the drama that resides in this novel, real-life nurses are a central figure in their patients’ physical and emotional recovery. For readers of escapist fiction, Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” blends romance and time travel in the story of a former combat nurse. Patricia O’Brien’s “The Glory Cloak: A Novel of Louisa May Alcott and Clara Barton” blends bits of truth with fiction in a historical tale.
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SHUTTERSTOCK
History lovers also might enjoy “My Name Is Mary Sutter” by Robin Oliveira. The story brings to life nursing during the Civil War, with its sheer lack of equipment and training. Another name in nursing is so famous, some may think the individual in question has actually drawn breath. But Nurse Ratched — a psychiatric nurse and antagonist in Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” — exists only in fiction. Published in 1962, the book introduces readers to a colorful cast of characters who reside in a mental health ward. In 1975, the book became an Academy Award–winning movie, and Louise Fletcher took home the best actress Oscar for her role as Ratched. Not only are nurses written about in literature, but some have the gift of writing. “No Other Medicine,” by Gail Ghigna Hallas, RN, PhD, is a fictitious account of patients’ hopes and rights. “The Healer’s War,” written by a real-life nurse named Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, tells of a nurse’s experiences in Vietnam. The nursing professional in fact began on the battlefield, but even today’s noncombat nurses feel they must fight a variety of battles to perform their jobs well. “The Thin White Line,” by Craig DiLouie, is a tale of contagious diseases, potential pandemics and the demands of nursing. Nurses penned poems and prose for the benefit of other nurses in “Between the Heartbeats: Poetry and Prose by Nurses” and other works. These nurses have taken a page, literally, from American poet Walt Whitman, himself a volunteer nurse. Nursing Times called the book a “wonderful” description of (nurses’) “disasters, their triumphs, their joy and sorrow.” ●
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Join our mission. Work alongside the greatest healer of all time The people, the faith-based ministry, professionalism and compassionate care are what make St. Francis Health a great place to have a rewarding career in health care. We are currently seeking candidates for the following positions:
Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO), Complex Case Coordinators – Indianapolis campus Must be an organized RN with an Indiana license and 3 – 5 years of experience in case/disease management. A Bachelor’s degree in Nursing is preferred. Must be computer literate in electronic documentation system and Microsoft Office products; ability to work independently, and work assertively and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team. Strong interpersonal communication skills are needed. An unrestricted driver’s license is a must.
Experienced Operating Room Nurses – Indianapolis, Carmel and Mooresville campuses Qualified candidates should possess previous OR nursing experience and a current IN Registered Nurse license. BSN is preferred.
Nurse Practitioner, Palliative Care – Indianapolis Qualified candidates should possess an IN Registered Nurse and be a graduate of a MSN accredited program, Must be a certified Nurse Practitioner who is eligible for prescriptive privileges within Indiana. Certification in Hospice and Palliative Care preferred. Will be responsible for outpatient visits and making hospital rounds. Some weekend coverage is required. We have exciting opportunities at our Indianapolis and Mooresville campuses for Registered Nurses in the following areas:
• Adult Intensive Care Unit • Critical Care • Emergency
• Geriatrics • Medical Progressive Care • Surgical Intensive/Progressive Care
Please visit our website at
www.franciscanalliance.org/careers
for a list of additional opportunities and to apply. St. Francis Health is part of Franciscan Alliance. Equal Opportunity Employer
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