Minority Nurse 2017 Winter Issue

The Career and Education Resource for the Minority Nursing Professional • WINTER 2017/2018

Challenges Facing

Nursing Students Today

+

Surviving the First Year as an RN WHY GRADES DON’T MATTER

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCHOOL

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Table of Contents

In This Issue 3

Editor’s Notebook

4

Vital Signs

7

Making Rounds

32

The Funny Bone

Academic Forum 26

Critical Thinking: A Vital Trait for Nurses

By Srinidhi Lakhanigam, BSN, RN, CCRN, CMSRN

Patient safety is paramount so it’s important to learn how to ask the right questions

Cover Story 8

Challenges Facing Nursing Students Today

By Michele Wojciechowski Learn what to expect before applying to nursing school so you can set yourself up for success

Features 14

Selecting the Right Nursing School

By Nuananong Seal, PhD, RN, and Mary Wiske, RN What’s right for your peers isn’t necessarily right for you so make sure you do your research first

Degrees of Success 27

Self-Reflection on My Dissertation Journey

By Cecelia Fernan, EdD, RNC

The road to success is not always easy to navigate

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Why Nursing School Grades Don’t Matter

By Lynda Lampert, RN Not graduating at the top of your class? Find out why that might

Health Policy 29 Advocating to Advance the Profession of Nursing: Opportunities for Student Engagement

By Janice M. Phillips, PhD, FAAN, RN

Learn more about the top policy issues impacting the profession and how you can get involved now

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actually work in your favor

22 Surviving the First Year as a Nurse: I Got My

First Job as a Registered Nurse, Now What?

By Jihye Kim Scroggins, RN, BSN A young bedside nurse shares what she’s learned in her first year to help ease your own transition

®

Editor’s Notebook:

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The Value of Knowing Yourself

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f you have recently made the decision to become a nurse, congratulations! You have made a commitment to lifelong learning. One of the most important lessons you’ll learn while on your nursing journey is to a) know when you don’t know something and b) be proactive in finding the answer. To help get you started on the right foot, our cover story offers some perspective on the potential hurdles you will face as a nursing student so you’re not completely blindsided.

Feeling overwhelmed by your nursing school possibilities? While it’s hard to put a price tag on your future, you do have to carefully weigh your options and choose the right school based on your financial situation and career goals. Nuananong Seal and Mary Wiske guide you through the maze of options to help you make an informed choice.

As a nursing student, you are about to invest a lot of time and energy in your education. Sometimes, life will get in the way and something important will slip through the cracks. Fail a test? Don’t fret. In her essay, Lynda Lampert argues why nursing grades ultimately don’t matter when it comes to being a great nurse.

Still, making the switch from simulation labs to real-life situations can be scary.

New nurse Jihye Kim Scroggins offers some real-life tips on what she’s learned with one year of bedside nursing experience under her belt to help ease your own transition from nursing graduate to novice nurse.

All nurses need to be able to think on their feet, which is why it’s important for you to start honing your critical thinking skills as early as possible. There is no such thing as a stupid question (especially when patients’ lives are at stake), so don’t be afraid to ask your instructors, preceptors, and colleagues questions. Srinidhi Lakhanigam makes the case for how an inquisitive mind will put you on the path to becoming a skilled nurse.

Feeling ambivalent about getting an advanced degree? Cecelia Fernan reflects on the personal struggles she faced while on her dissertation journey and the overwhelming sense of accomplishment when she finally received her doctorate. Let her story inspire you to join the ranks of nurses with a PhD. Health policy may not be on your radar yet, but it’s important to keep yourself informed of the major health care discussions happening across America right now. In this issue’s Health Policy column, Janice Phillips interviews AACN Chief Policy Officer Suzanne Miyamoto and discusses how students can get involved in nursing advocacy.

It’s never too early to start advocating for your chosen profession’s future!

—Megan Larkin

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Vital Signs

Cancers Associated With Being Overweight or Obese Make Up 40% of Cancers Diagnosed in the United States Being overweight or obese is associated with an increased risk for 13 types of cancer. These cancers account for about 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States in 2014, according to a Vital Signs report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Overall, the rate of new cancer cases has decreased since the 1990s, but increases in overweightness- and obesity-related cancers are likely slowing this progress.

A

bout 630,000 people in the United States were diagnosed with a cancer associated with being overweight or obese in 2014. About 2 in 3 occurred in adults 50–74 years old. The rates of obesity-related cancers, not including colorectal cancer, increased by 7% between 2005 and 2014. The rates of nonobesity-related cancers declined during that time.

“A majority of American adults weigh more than recommended—and being overweight or obese puts people at higher risk for a number of cancers—so these findings are a cause for concern,” says CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, MD. “By getting to and keeping a healthy weight, we all can play a role in cancer prevention.”

In 2013–2014, about 2 out of 3 adults in the United States were overweight (defined as having a body mass index [BMI] of 25–29.9 kg/m2) or had obesity (having a BMI of 30 kg/m2 and higher). The BMI is a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of the person’s height (in meters).

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Many people are not aware that being overweight or obese is associated with some cancers. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has identified 13 cancers associated with being overweight and obese: meningioma; multiple myeloma; adenocarcinoma of the esophagus; and cancers of the thyroid, postmenopausal breast, gallbladder, stomach, liver, pancreas, kidney, ovaries, uterus, and colon and rectum (colorectal). Screening for colorectal cancer prevents new cases by finding abnormal growths in the colon and rectum before they turn into cancer.

The Vital Signs report, by CDC and National Cancer Institute researchers, analyzed 2014 cancer incidence data from the United States Cancer Statistics report and reviewed data from 2005 to 2014 to determine trends for cancers associated with overweightness and obesity.

Key findings include: • 55% of all cancers diagnosed in women and 24% of those diagnosed in

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men are associated with overweightness and obesity.

• Non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites had higher incidence rates compared with other racial and ethnic groups.

Black males and American Indian/Alaska Native males had higher incidence rates than white males.

• Cancers associated with overweightness and obesity, excluding colorectal cancer, increased 7% between 2005 and 2014. Colorectal cancer decreased 23%, due in large part to screening.

Cancers not associated with overweightness and obesity decreased 13%.

• Cancers associated with overweightness and obesity, excluding colorectal cancer, increased among adults younger than age 75 years.

“As an oncologist, when people ask me if there’s a cure for cancer, I say, ‘Yes, good health is the best prescription for preventing chronic diseases, including cancer,’” says Lisa

C. Richardson, MD, MPH, director of CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control.

“What that means to health care providers like me is helping people to have the information they need to make healthy choices where they live, work, learn, and play.”

How Can Health Care Providers Help?

• Measure patients’ weight, height, and BMI and counsel them on keeping a healthy weight and its role in cancer prevention.

• Refer patients with obesity to intensive programs that include a variety of activities to help people manage their weight.

• Connect patients and families with community services to help them have easier access to healthy food and ways to be active.

Vital Signs

The Joint Commission Issues New Sentinel Event Alert on Inadequate Handoff Communication Communication failures in U.S. hospitals and medical practices were at least partly responsible for 30% of all malpractice claims resulting in 1,744 deaths and $1.7 billion in malpractice costs over five years, according to a 2015 CRICO Benchmark Report. The Joint Commission has issued a new Sentinel Event Alert to provide hospitals and other health care settings with seven recommendations to improve communication failures that occur when patients are transitioned from one caregiver to another or from one team of caregivers to another.

T

he alert also reviews contributing factors to such “handoff communication” failures, solutions, research, quality improvement efforts, and The Joint Commission’s related requirements.

“When a patient is handed off to another health care provider for continuing care, treatment, or services, the type of information the receiving provider needs may not be the in-

formation the sender provides.

This misalignment is where the problem often occurs during hand-off communication,” says Ana Pujols McKee, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer of The Joint Commission. “Failures in hand-off communication can result in a sequence of misadventures and adverse events which can include medication errors, medical complications, readmissions, and even loss

of life. We encourage health care organizations to use our new Sentinel Event Alert to help improve their own hand-off communication process.”

The seven recommendations to improve handoff communication include the following: 1. Demonstrate leadership’s commitment to successful handoffs and other aspects of a safety culture.

2. Standardize critical content to be communicated by the sender during a handoff—both verbally and in written form.

3. Conduct face-to-face handoff communication and sign-outs between senders and receivers in locations free from interruptions—include multidisciplinary team

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members, the patient and family, as appropriate.

4. Standardize training on how to conduct a successful handoff.

5. Use electronic health record capabilities and other technologies to enhance handoffs.

6. Monitor the success of interventions to improve handoff communication and use the lessons to drive improvement.

7. Sustain and spread best practices in handoffs and make high-quality handoffs a cultural priority.

The full alert and an accompanying infographic are available on The Joint Commission website.

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Vital Signs

National Institutes of Health to Fund Centers of Excellence on Minority Health and Health Disparities

Twelve specialized research centers designed to conduct multidisciplinary research, research training, and community engagement activities focused on improving minority health and reducing health disparities will launch. The centers, to be funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will share approximately $82 million over five years, pending the availability of funds.

H

ealth disparity populations experience a disproportionate burden of preventable diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS, along with exposure to substance abuse, violence, and trauma.

These populations include

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racial and ethnic minority groups, underserved rural populations, people of less privileged socioeconomic status, along with groups subject to discrimination who have poorer health outcomes often attributed to being socially disadvantaged.

The Centers of Excellence’s

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(COE) program fosters collaborative research in minority health and health disparities that will identify critical biological, behavioral, environmental, sociocultural, and health systems factors to aid in developing optimal interventions that will reduce targeted health disparities. “ We need strong collaborations and research based upon asking the right questions in specific areas.

The Centers of Excellence are poised to emphasize scientific inquiry that will promote health equity,” says NIMHD Director Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable.

The COE program will help • Support innovative multiand transdisciplinary research to promote minority health and reduce health disparities.

• Strengthen exemplary research training and education activities to support the development of well-trained researchers, including those from minority and health disparity populations.

• Increase the number of individuals from minority and other health disparity populations participating in research activities.

• Provide support for engaging minority and other health disparity communities in effective and sustainable activities aimed at improving the health of their communities.

Each COE research center will have a specific unifying focus that will directly

and demonstrably impact minority health and health disparities in that topic area. The focus of each COE will revolve around at least one of the NIH-designated health disparity populations or a subpopulation within a health disparity population.

Additionally, the COE may include specific disease areas that disproportionately affect disparity populations and contribute substantially to health outcomes, and/or prevention topics that cut across health conditions and populations.

The NIMHD COE program, established by the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000 (Pub. L. No. 106525), has played a vital role in realizing NIMHD’s mission to support research in minority health and health disparities, promote the training of a diverse research w o r k f o rc e , d i s s e m i n a t e research findings, and foster innovative collaborations and partnerships. Each center includes community organizations, academic institutions, clinicians, and health care systems, as well as state and local public health agencies. The research programs translate community needs into practice at local c l i n i c s , c h u rc h e s , a n d community centers.

For more information about NIMHD, visit www.nimhd.nih.gov.

Making Rounds

February

April

June

14–17

4–8

5–10

36th Annual Convention Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina San Diego, California Info: 800-454-4362 E-mail: dna@dnanurse.org Website: www.dnanurse.org

66th Annual Convention Gaylord Opryland Hotel Nashville, Tennessee Info: 718-210-0705 E-mail: nsna@nsna.org Website: http://nsnaconvention.weebly.com

2018 Annual Conference The Sheraton at the Falls Niagara Falls, New York Info: 800-278-2462 E-mail: info@ahna.org Website: www.ahna.org

10–14

23–27

ISPN 20th Annual Conference and 11th Psychopharmacology Institute Tempe Mission Palms Hotel and Conference Center Tempe, Arizona Info: 608-443-2463 E-mail: info@ispn-psych.org Website: www.ispn-psych.org

2018 Annual Convention Tampa Convention Center Tampa, Florida Info: 800-354-2268 E-mail: customerservice@awhonn.org Website: www.awhonn.org

May

June 26–July 1

The Dermatology Nurses’ Association

February/March February 28–March 3 National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists

2018 Annual Conference Renaissance Austin Hotel Austin, Texas Info: 215-320-3881 E-mail: info@nacns.org Website: http://nacns.org

March 11–16

Black Nurses Rock 2018 Cruise Conference Princess Cruises Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Dominican Republic to Turks and Caicos Info: 844-267-7665 Website: https://bnrcruise.com

21–24

Southern Nursing Research Society 32nd Annual Conference Sheraton Atlanta Atlanta, Georgia Info: 877-314-7677 E-mail: info@snrs.org Website: www.snrs.org

24–27

American Association of Colleges of Nursing Deans Annual Meeting The Fairmont Washington Washington, District of Columbia Info: 202-463-6930 E-mail: conferences@aacn.nche.edu Website: www.aacn.nche.edu

National Student Nurses’ Association

American Holistic Nurses Association

International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses

Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses

June/July American Association of Nurse Practitioners

4–6

Academy of Neonatal Nursing 2018 Spring National Advanced Practice Neonatal Nurses Conference Marriott Downtown Waterfront Portland, Oregon Info: 707-795-2168 E-mail: conferenceinfo@academyonline.org Website: www.academyonline.org

10–12

2018 National Conference Colorado Convention Center Denver, Colorado Info: 512-442-4262 E-mail: conference@aanp.org Website: www.aanp.org

July 25–29

American Nursing Informatics Association

Philippine Nurses Association of America

2018 Annual Conference Hilton Buena Vista Palace Orlando, Florida Tel: 866-552-6404 E-mail: ania@ajj.com Website: www.ania.org

2018 Annual Convention Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson Jersey City, New Jersey E-mail: infomypnaa@gmail.com Website: www.mypnaa.org

21–24

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

July/August

2018 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition Boston Convention and Exhibition Center Boston, Massachusetts Tel: 800-899-2226 E-mail: info@aacn.org Website: www.aacn.org

July 31–August 5

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National Black Nurses Association 46th Annual Institute and Conference St. Louis Union Station Hotel St. Louis, Missouri Info: 301-589-3200 E-mail: info@nbna.org Website: www.nbna.org

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Challenges Facing Nursing Students Today

There have always challenges facing What are the bigg can students deal them? Some expe

BY MICHELE WOJCIECHOWSKI

Frederick Richardson, a BSN student and the Breakthrough to Nursing director for the National Student Nurses’ Association, had no doubt about how much of his time would be taken up when he began attending nursing school. Yet, he says, this seems to be one of the toughest aspects of attending nursing school that students struggle with.

“O

ne of the biggest issues that nursing students face is time—making time for everything,” explains Richardson. “Nursing school is very demanding, and when you add in the coursework, reading for homework, and the clinical work, there usually isn’t time for anything else.”

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Richardson says that he was fortunate enough to learn about this before choosing to attend nursing school. His older brother had attended nursing school, and Richardson saw firsthand

how often he didn’t see his brother during that time. “He would be at the library studying, at class, or at clinicals,” recalls Richardson. “When I’d see him, it would be late at night. And he would be out of the door first thing in the morning. At the time, I recognized that when I would get to nursing school, I would probably have a similar schedule, and sure enough, it’s been exactly the same way.”

s been g nursing students. gest ones today, and how l with and overcome erts weigh in.

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To overcome this, Richardson says that students need to have perspective and be realistic regarding what they can accomplish in their lives while attending such vigorous programs. “Our schedules can get really hectic. But I think that when you get into nursing school, you have to recognize that you’re going to devote the majority of your time to your nursing program.

A lot of students don’t realize that,” he says.

Students need to set their priorities straight and decide how they are going to organize their time. Richardson, for example, says that he had to learn how to plan his time, organize his life and tasks on a calendar, and then follow that calendar every single day.

From his perspective, quite a lot of students expect to attend nursing school and still have an active social life and do everything they did before, like watch all their favorite television shows.

“I think that the trouble

think they’re going to survive nursing school,” says Richardson. “They’re going to have to sacrifice a lot of that time, but once you get into it, it gets a bit easier.”

Martha A. Dawson, DNP, MSN, FACHE, assistant professor and coordinator of Nursing and Health Systems Administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, as well as the current historian for the National Black Nurses Association, agrees that having enough time can be an issue for nursing students.

Traditional nursing students still face challenges that relate to study time, finances, and part-time work. In addition to the challenges of traditional students, however, second degree nursing students, such as those in a BSN to MSN bridge or other accelerated degree program, may also have immediate family obligations, explains Dawson. For instance, some may be primary caregivers for

In addition to taking out loans to attend nursing school, Richardson says that there are a number of scholarships available for students. Believe it or not, though, not a lot of students are applying for them. students run into is they believe they can have everything—do well in nursing school, have an active social life, et cetera. If they go in with that kind of view, I don’t

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older parents. “Many students in these new and emerging programs are older, and these added life demands can lead to both high stress and exhaustion,” she adds.

Money, Money, Money Richardson and Dawson agree that financial issues can also be a big challenge for nursing students. Dawson says that with the varying nursing programs and the older student population in them, these students may have greater financial obligations besides school, like a mortgage. “The

because of the time. A lot of students don’t know that the scholarships exist, and a lot who know they exist feel like they don’t have the time to fill out the applications because of the high demand of nursing school.”

The reality, Richardson says, is that studying takes up so much of the students’ days

“Basic socialization has changed in that the younger generations would prefer to text over having a verbal conversation. The lack of appropriate communication skills has an impact on the students’ ability to work collaboratively with physicians, fellow nurses, and other members of the health care team,” explains Harris-Smith.

current economic climate is making it more difficult for students to gain access to scholarships, trainee grants, and other forms of funding without going further into debt,” says Dawson.

In addition to taking out loans to attend nursing school, Richardson says that there are a number of scholarships available for students. Believe it or not, though, not a lot of students are applying for them. “There are a good number of scholarships available,” says Richardson.

“After speaking with some people who have scholarships or who fund scholarships for students, I’ve discovered that they’re not getting a lot of applications. One reason is

that many don’t think they could take the time to do what some scholarships may require in their applications—like get a letter of recommendation, write three essays, get transcripts, and the like.

Recently, Richardson had a heart-to-heart talk with a student who was frustrated because of going to school, clinicals, and a part-time job.

“I said, ‘If you took about three hours applying for a scholarship, you would get more money to help you out with your school fees,’” says Richardson. He continued to explain to the student that he was working twice as hard and putting in twice as many hours at his part-time job to make the same amount of

money that he could get if he applied for a scholarship— which would ultimately free up more of his time. “It would help the student more in the long run,” says Richardson.

Family Support Along with not getting enough financial support, some nursing students don’t have as much family support, says Rebecca HarrisSmith, EdD, MSN, BA, dean of Nursing and Allied Health at South Louisiana Community College. “Nursing classrooms across the nation are filled with an intergenerational, multicultural group of students that range from millennials to baby boomers,” explains Harris-Smith. “This nontraditional classroom of students has many that are parents who frequently do not have siblings, parents, or other relatives to assist them with child care. The expense of child care, transportation, and after-hours coverage often impacts the nursing student’s classroom, clinical, and study time.”

Richardson says that family support and encouragement is often needed, but not every student has it. “I noticed immediately that I needed a lot of support,” says Richardson.

nursing students. The ability to communicate both verbally and in writing appears to be a challenge,” says Harris-Smith.

She says that because Gen Xers and millennials have grown up with a lot of technology, they have spent a lot of their early years communicating that way.

“Basic socialization has changed in that the younger generations would prefer to text over having a verbal conversation. The lack of appropriate communication skills has an impact on the students’ ability to work collaboratively with physicians, fellow nurses, and other members of the health care team,” explains HarrisSmith.

“Effective communication is essential due to the intraand interprofessional team collaboration essential in the health care arena,” HarrisSmith explains. “Additionally, nursing students must learn flexibility, professionalism, and a strong work ethic—which are essential to the development of the new nurse graduate.

Being able to adapt to an ever-changing environment is important as health care facilities have staffing issues often requiring nurses to work beyond their shifts.”

Communication

Challenges for Minority Students

“In my personal experience, soft skills as they relate to interpersonal people skills have become an issue for

Although the challenges for nursing students are often the same for students of color and those who aren’t, “students

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from underrepresented groups in the nursing profession and in society . . . have them on a much larger scale,” says Dawson. “There are barriers and biases that these students

nancial issues that ‘majority’ students do not have to deal with on a daily basis. Many minority students also struggle with the very basics of housing and food.”

An additional burden that minority students face, says Harris-Smith, is that of access and equity in education.

experience such as academic skills, perceived perceptions about their abilities, lack of faculty role models, limited peer support, and major fi-

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An additional burden that minority students face, says Harris-Smith, is that of access and equity in education. “A selective admission process

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is used by schools of nursing across the nation, and this very process can serve as a barrier for students of color. Academic profiling of students ensures admission of the most academically prepared students that rank highest among their peers, but students from underrepresented populations are often the first-generation college students that struggle with the issues of being the first in the family to attend college.

This situation places a heavy burden on the student because s/he may be dealing with the pressure of being the ‘savior’ for the family. These students are generally not savvy enough

to apply for multiple college programs, have difficulty completing financial aid forms, and generally come to college with limited resources,” says Harris-Smith.

“Nursing programs tend to address diversity in their mission statements but fail to explain how this is accomplished. Merely placing the statement in the mission statement does not explain how the school of nursing addresses the issue.

To ensure transparency, each school of nursing could better address this issue by providing information on the way in which this mission is accomplished,” says HarrisSmith. For example, she says, schools could use a statement that’s more explanatory: This school of nursing addresses diversity via academic profiling of students but is careful to admit a diverse student body that resembles the demographics of the community in which we live.

“There is a need for schools of nursing to restructure their admission process to address the lack of the underrepresented students in attendance at their colleges and universities,” HarrisSmith adds.

Richardson says that’s why he is a part of the Breakthrough to Nursing committee because its goal is to increase diversity in the nursing profession. Another challenge he’s seen is that some minority students don’t

last in nursing school because they have different ways of learning. “Culturally, students from different backgrounds learn differently. I’m a kinesthetic learner. If you show me how to start an IV, I will know how to start an IV more efficiently than reading three chapters about how to start an IV,” Richardson explains. “A lot of nursing school is geared toward your textbook. But a lot of students are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.”

He says that there are also students from various cultural backgrounds who don’t know how to study. “For students who come from the other side of the world to America to learn, their views are different from yours, and when you have a different perspective, you’re able to become more aware. You’re able to see a different view. It actually makes us stronger and allows us to become smarter to look at the way that other people do things,” suggests Richardson.

“With diversity, we need to recognize and communicate to understand what the other person’s thinking is and allow them to realize that though their culture is different, it’s not a bad thing,” says Richardson. “It’s just a different view and perspective for them.”

Michele Wojciechowski is an award-winning writer and author of the humor book Next Time I Move, They’ll Carry Me Out in a Box.

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Selecting the Right Nursing School

BY NUANANONG SEAL, PhD, RN AND MARY WISKE, RN

Are you on the brink of selecting a nursing school? Whether you are about to have your first college experience or you are continuing your education for career advancement, it is important that you do your homework because going to school is an investment in time, money, and your future—and you want to make sure you are making the right choice.

T

he cost of college has skyrocketed over the past few decades. The tuition fee for a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree, which takes four years to finish, costs anywhere from $20,000 to over $100,000 a

year. Students who are studying in-state pay lower than those who are from out of state. Private universities are more expensive than public universities and community colleges. Selecting the right nursing school, therefore, re-

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quires careful consideration.

There are more than 2,000 nursing schools in the United States to choose from— some well-known and some less known, all worthy of your attention. Different aspects are important to different pro-

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spective students, so you want to make sure you select the right nursing school that fits your career endeavors, lifestyle, and financial status.

What Are Your Expectations and Needs?

There are several factors that you should consider when selecting a nursing school. First and foremost, you need to ask yourself what you perceive to be a good fit based on your individual needs before starting your search. Consider the following: • What are your career desires?

• Do you want to start as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or registered nurse (RN) and start looking for a job after your nursing program is complete?

• Do you want to volunteer in a hospital while attending nursing school?

• Is it best for you to work in a heavily structured environment or one that offers more flexibility in

terms of integrating a parttime work schedule into studies?

• Do you need to stay close to home?

• How will you support yourself and your family while you go to school?

• For career advancement, what particular area of nursing calls to you?

the next step is to do some research for nursing schools that match your career desires.

Create a list of pros and cons for each of your top choices.

Here are some important things to consider when selecting a nursing school: Accreditation. Look for schools that have been accredited by the Accredita-

Different aspects are important to different prospective students, so you want to make sure you select the right nursing school that fits your career endeavors, lifestyle, and financial status.

It is vital that you examine your expectations and ask yourself these questions to help you find the school that fits your needs. The school that best fits your needs is the best nursing school.

What Elements Make a Good Nursing School?

Once you know your expectations and needs,

tion Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing and Education (CCNE). This indicates that the school meets the necessary standards of education set by a national accrediting organization. Students who graduate from accredited nursing school programs are qualified to attend other accredited schools to pursue advanced studies, including RN-to-BSN and master’s programs. Also, keep in mind that most employers prefer to hire accredited practitioners because they are trained under nationally established standards for nursing education. This makes you more competitive in the job market. However, nursing school accreditation is granted for only specific periods of time so you should check with the nursing school or the accrediting body to determine the period of time for which the school is accredited.

NCLEX Examination Pass Rates. You are required to take a nationwide, standard-

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ized nursing test called the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) before you can become a licensed nurse. When researching schools, you will want to find out what percentage of a school’s students have passed the NCLEX exam for the last five years. The percentage of graduating students that pass the NCLEX is always a good indicator of how well the school prepares its students.

You can ask the school for the NCLEX pass rates or use the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website as a resource for finding schools with top-notch passing rates for the NCLEX exams. Make sure that you select a school with consistent scores above 85% over the last five years.

Nursing Career Placement Services. Look for schools that are dedicated to helping students find suitable majors and careers under the help of a well-established career services department. One of the distinguishing factors that differentiates a good school from a poor school is the quality of their nursing career placement services. You need to find out how many of the school’s nursing students were able to find fulltime employment within a year of earning their degree and license. Make sure the school you will attend has a good career placement services staff with a record of placing its students with good employers.

Clinical Rotation. Clinical rotation is an important element of a good nursing program because it helps you prepare for your future career and academic endeavors.

Find out how many clinical

rotations you can anticipate from the school during your program. Do the clinical rotations provide hands-

The school that best fits your needs is the best nursing school. on experience? How much clinical rotation time does the nursing school you are considering offer? It is best to consult with previous and current students to get a really good feel for how the clinical rotation works at each school.

In addition to the main elements mentioned earlier, some other features that need to be considered when selecting a nursing school include class sizes, class schedules, faculty’s credentials, tuition fees, and financial aid. Make sure to find out about studentto-faculty ratios for both classroom and clinical instruction. Small class sizes for clinical rotations and nursing courses are important in developing your learning and clinical skills. You also need to make sure that the nursing school you select has class schedules that are accommodating and convenient for you. Before you apply to a nursing school, take some time to research the faculty’s credentials. Find out how much and what type of education nurse faculty have as well as their practical nursing experience. Faculty with advanced degrees in nursing with recent clinical nursing experience can better prepare students for the work of the profession. Lastly, you

need to know how much the nursing school will cost you and its availability of financial aid. You should also

quire time and thoughtfulness. Contacting the school and asking the right questions will give you a better

the most informed choice possible.

Nuananong Seal, PhD, RN, is an experienced researcher in health promotion and is the project di-

One of the distinguishing factors that differentiates a good school from a poor school is the quality of their nursing career placement services.

rector of a nonprofit health and wellness program.

Mary Wiske, RN, is a retired community health nurse.

look for a school that offers support for NCLEX review and preparation.

Finding a nursing school that suits your needs will re-

understanding of whether or not this school is the right one for you. You deserve to have all of your questions answered so that you can make

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WHY NURSING SCHOOL GRADES DON’T MATTER

BY LYNDA LAMPERT, RN

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We all sat around in my living room, friends in the fight against those nursing school teachers who seemed hell-bent on making our lives miserable. There were about ten of us crammed into my small living room for this Saturday study group, and I was the de facto leader. I didn’t need to be there. I didn’t need much more than to glance through the notes, but I wanted to help these on-the-bubble students pass. I taught what I knew. Everyone wanted to study with me because, well, test scores speak for themselves in nursing school. www.minoritynurse.com

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Y

es, I was one of those, and I always have been. Give me a book, and I can ace a test. It isn’t really genius.

It’s just that I know how to take a test. Of course, I was immensely proud of my 4.0.

I didn’t lord it over people, but I did feel rather smug I guess, rather superior. I felt this meant the nursing world was my oyster. I was cocky that I would breeze through orientation, but I certainly didn’t feel I knew it all. I also didn’t put my fellow students down. In fact, I enjoyed helping them, fighting the good fight to get them to pass.

actually someone who can work well with others, can care for patients, and can be a part of the team. The only thing is that my work in school didn’t matter a damn to them.

What really opened my eyes was orientation. I was lost. Everything I had learned was so much chaff. It came into play from time to time, but it really and truly did not matter.

I remember the first time I had four patients. It was a juggling act. The fact that I knew all the bones of the hand by heart was completely irrelevant. I needed to look at vital signs

When I interviewed out of nursing school, no one cared that I graduated at the top of my class, although I told them repeatedly.

One day, my teacher said something that made the bottom drop out of my stomach: “The best nurses are usually those in the middle of the pack. Those who score high tend to not do so well.”

Was she talking to me? She said it to the class, but was she talking to me?

Maybe I was paranoid, but it turns out that there was a kernel of truth in what she said.

When I interviewed out of nursing school, no one cared that I graduated at the top of my class, although I told them repeatedly. They were more interested in how I would handle a crisis and what sort of person I was and whether or not I would fit in with this culture. Despite my obvious hubris, I am

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and know what they meant.

I needed to know when to pass meds and when to chart.

Most importantly, I needed to know when I didn’t know something, and I needed to ask for help.

Fortunately, questions have never been a problem for me, and I was able to become a safe nurse because of that.

This 4.0 student spent more time with her preceptor or charge nurse than she did with her patients in the first year of nursing.

And still, all that book learning I had was merely peripheral. Sometimes, it came into play. I would know obscure things about electrolyte imbalances, for instance. I was also considered one of the go-to nurses with problems in my later years.

But my knowledge is not what makes me a good nurse.

I found that my personal sense of patient safety was the most important. My ability to handle more and

Fortunately, questions have never been a problem for me, and I was able to become a safe nurse because of that.

more stress became the calling card of my practice.

My life was about looking at a situation and making a decision. Do I call a doctor about this, or do I have the means to fix it myself? Do I delegate this responsibility, or do I do it myself? Should I ask for help, or do I know enough?

My mentors—my preceptor, my manager, the various charge nurses, and the more experienced nurses—made me into a nurse. It wasn’t that huge book I lugged around for so many years. It takes a village to raise a nurse. Not a textbook.

These are skills that are not measured by GPA. These are skills that I have but don’t come as easily to me as multiple-choice questions.

The point is that if you are a 2.5 student, don’t worry.

Your ability to pass tests has nothing to do with real world nursing. Trust me. I’ve been there. I am a good nurse. I worked hard to become one, but it didn’t have anything to do with what I did in school.

It was about a fabulous

preceptor, a supportive group of experienced nurses, and hard work on my part.

Not graduating at the top of your class? You may just be the best nurse yet. If you are

and make decisions, you will be a good nurse.

Most importantly, if you can and will ask questions when you don’t know the answers—and accept that

don’t let it bother you. Take it from someone who has been there: It doesn’t matter at all.

Lynda Lampert, RN, has worked medical-surgical, telemetry, and intensive care units in her

It takes a village to raise a nurse. Not a textbook.

career. She has been freelancing for five years and lives in western Pennsylvania with her family and pets.

someone who can manage your time well, you will make a good nurse. If you are someone who can stare down a stressful situation

you know very few of the answers—you will be well on your way to becoming a fantastic nurse. If you just eked by in nursing school,

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SURVIVING THE FIRST YEAR AS A NURSE I Got My First Job as a Registered Nurse, Now What?

BY JIHYE KIM SCROGGINS, RN, BSN

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Here come brand-new nurses with their brand-new scrubs, clipboards, nursing shoes, and stethoscopes, eager to start the adventure as a nurse in the real world of nursing. Securing the very first job as a registered nurse is one of the most exciting—but also terrifying—events that any new graduate nurse experiences. No more simulation labs and clinicals, but real lives (and your license) are at stake.

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recent report suggests that nearly 30% of new graduate nurses leave their job within the first year. You had been asking yourself if you would survive the nursing school.

Now, you have to ask yourself this question: Am I going to survive the first year as a nurse? Here are some real-life tips from one new graduate nurse who just survived the first year working as a bedside nurse to another.

Cherish Your Orientation Period New graduate nurse residency programs, such as Transition to Practice programs, are excellent opportunities to receive extended orientation

periods, labs, and classes. It is true that often you may feel like you are back in school again with extended orientation time.

However, it is critical for new graduate nurses to take this opportunity to learn, practice,

shifts on your own, you may miss the orientation days.

When in Doubt, Ask! The biggest mistake that a new graduate nurse can make is to assume things. “There is no

New graduate nurse residency programs, such as Transition to Practice programs, are excellent opportunities to receive extended orientation periods, labs, and classes.

no questions,” says Jo Burney, who has more than 20 years of bedside nursing experience and frequently mentors and precepts new graduate nurses.

Asking questions doesn’t make you look like an incompetent nurse at all. Providing inadequate, or unsafe, care because you weren’t sure what to do but didn’t ask questions about it will make you not only incompetent but also a reckless nurse.

Find Out the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and experience as much as they can during this period because once the orientation is over, you will be on your own without preceptors to back you up. After the first couple of

such thing as a stupid question.

We are not worried about new nurses asking endless questions regardless of the content, but we will be worried if a new graduate nurse has

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Nurses are only human.

There are experienced nurses who are excellent teachers and mentors to new nurses professionally and personally. However, there

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are also experienced nurses who have nothing to offer to you, meaning that they don’t want to teach you and you probably don’t want to learn anything from them either.

New graduate nurses should be able spot these different types of nurses. If you haven’t figured it out on your own, ask your preceptor at the end of your orientation for a list of nurses who can be great resources around the unit.

Study Nursing school may be over, but the education continues. It is highly encouraged to study about the specialty of nursing that you are in, such as the common patient populations, diagnoses, medications, pathophysiologies, protocols, and policies. You may even consider opening the textbook that you said you would never open again after nursing school is over! Do so when you have downtime at work if you can’t make time outside of your work. Having the

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Introduce yourself to the other nurses and nursing assistants and remember their names. Smile and greet! Simple and small courteous actions will make a difference. knowledge behind the nursing tasks you do will increase your ability to critically think and analyze the cases.

Be Personable, but Stay Away From the Drama You don’t have to be best friends with your coworkers, but it doesn’t hurt to leave a good impression and to get along with them. Introduce

make a difference. If it seems appropriate, you can also share personal things such as family and pets. You want to treat each nurse as an individual rather than just another nurse who happens to be working the same shift as you. However, never gossip or badmouth other nurses even if everyone else is talking and gossiping about a certain person in front of you.

The biggest mistake that a new graduate nurse can make is to assume things.

providers, social workers, and other interdisciplinary team members. You can always learn something from anybody, whether it is how to transfer phone calls or how to program an IV pump, as long as you keep your ears and minds wide open for all the million things that you have to remember as a new graduate nurse.

The first year as a new graduate nurse will pass in the blink of an eye, and you will become a novice nurse who is somewhat comfortable but is still a little nervous with unfamiliar cases and emergent situations. You will be so very proud with that one year of bedside nursing experience under your belt, but the journey to become an experienced nurse will always continue.

Jihye Kim Scroggins, RN, BSN, is a

yourself to the other nurses and nursing assistants and remember their names.

Smile and greet! Simple and small courteous actions will

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It’s All About Listening

bedside nurse at a large teaching

Listen to your patients and their family members.

Listen to other nurses, nursing assistants, secretaries,

hospital in North Carolina where she started working as a new graduate nurse in 2016.

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Academic Forum

Critical Thinking: A Vital Trait for Nurses

BY SRINIDHI LAKHANIGAM, BSN, RN, CCRN, CMSRN

One of the most commonly heard phrases right from day one of nursing school is “critical thinking.” The common consensus is that everyone has to develop sound critical thinking in order to be a safe and effective, registered nurse (RN). This necessity is magnified when it comes to critical care areas where one decision by the RN can change the patient’s outcome. Nursing has changed from a simple caregiving job to a complex and highly responsible profession. Hence, the role of nurses has changed from being task-oriented to a team-based, patient-centered approach with an emphasis on positive outcomes. Strong critical thinking skills will have the greatest impact on patient outcomes.

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o, what is critical thinking and how do we develop this? A precise definition of critical thinking was proposed in a statement by Michael Scriven and Richard Paul at the Eighth Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking and Education Reform during the summer of 1987. “Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.

In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness,” reads the document.

Simply put, critical thinking in nursing is a purposeful, logical process which results in powerful patient outcomes.

“Critical thinking involves

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interpretation and analysis of the problem, reasoning to find a solution, applying, and finally evaluation of the outcomes,” according to a 2010 study published in the Journal of Nursing Education.

This definition essentially covers the nursing process and reiterates that critical thinking builds upon a solid foundation of sound clinical knowledge.

Critical thinking is the result

experiences to solve patient problems.

How does one develop critical thinking skills? A good start is to develop an inquisitive mind, which leads to questioning, and a quest for knowledge and understanding of the complex nature of the human body and its functioning. A vital step in developing critical thinking for new nurses is to learn from those with a strong base of practical experience in the form of preceptors/colleagues. An

If thinking is unchecked, nurses can be easily misguided and deliver flawed patient care. of a combination of innate curiosity; a strong foundation of theoretical knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, disease processes, and normal and abnormal lab values; and an orientation for thinking on your feet. Combining this with a strong passion for patient care will produce positive patient outcomes. The critical thinking nurse has an open mind and draws heavily upon evidencebased research and past clinical

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open-minded nurse can learn valuable lessons from others’ critical thinking ability and will be able to practice for the good of their patients.

Critical thinking is selfguided and self-disciplined.

Nursing interventions can be reasonably explained through evidence-based research studies and work experience. A strong sense of focus and discipline is also important for critical thinking to work. If thinking

is unchecked, nurses can be easily misguided and deliver flawed patient care. A constant comparison of practice with best practices in the industry will help guide a nurse to think critically and improve care.

This makes it easier to form habits which continue to have a positive impact on patients and colleagues. Every decision a critical thinking nurse makes affects not only the patient but also his or her families, coworkers, and self.

In summary, the take-home message for nurses is that critical thinking alone can’t ensure great patient care. A combination of open-mindedness, a solid foundational knowledge of disease processes, and continuous learning, coupled with a compassionate heart and great clinical preceptors, can ensure that every new nurse will be a critical thinker positively affecting outcomes at the bedside.

Srinidhi Lakhanigam, BSN, RN, CCRN, CMSRN, is a member of the critical care team at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, California.

Degrees of Success

Self-Reflection on My Dissertation Journey

BY CECELIA FERNAN, EdD, RNC

After four years of rigorous schoolwork while working as a full-time assistant professor, I was physically and mentally spent when I started writing my doctoral dissertation. But despite this unimaginable exhaustion, I felt inspired, empowered, and euphoric because now, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was almost at the completion of something I had worked so hard to accomplish. It took me almost a year to complete my dissertation while working overseas in Okinawa, Japan. I remember how writing the last chapter of my dissertation was the most challenging, as I was getting more impatient just to present and defend my research.

Throughout this entire experience, I found my positive self-talk helpful each time I found myself unmotivated to get going: “Just try to write, even if it is just for a few minutes.” So, that was what I did.

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struggled with this dissertation at the worst time of my life. I was just about to start my dissertation when my mother’s health began to deteriorate. Almost three decades ago, I left my family in the Philippines, the people who

moil is an understatement.

My parents never graduated from college, but they understood the value of education. They worked very hard to support us and never asked us to help them. For them, our only job was to go to school

My doctorate was my greatest tribute to my mother’s sacrifices for her children’s education, but she did not live long enough to see it. had given me everything to be where I am today, to move to America. I felt obligated to take care of my mother. To be closer to her, I decided to take an overseas job and move temporarily to Okinawa, Japan. However, her condition turned worse, and she finally passed away after months of being in a vegetative state. To say that I was in a state of tur-

and obtain a college degree someday. My doctorate was my greatest tribute to my mother’s sacrifices for her children’s education, but she did not live long enough to see it. My grief made me temporarily lose my motivation. Grief is a very uncomfortable place to be stuck.

It is so easy to get trapped in that paralyzing sadness. Many times, I had to convince myself

not to give up: “Give it a go because you’ve come this far.

Don’t give up.” This self-talk served me well when I almost lost all my will and determination to complete my dissertation. With the help of my family and academic advisors, I was able to deal with my sadness my way to be able to move on. Their understanding and patience allowed me to feel,

my dissertation saved me and gave me back my focus.

The road to success is not easy to navigate, even for the most talented people. Would I have predicted that my life would turn out this way three decades after my husband and I moved to America? No. I came from a rural area in Cebu, Philippines, a typical small town devoid of big city

With English as my second language, academic writing did not come easy. My insecurities and self-doubts were the driving forces that made me work harder. say, and think whatever it was I needed to heal. In the end,

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luxuries. I was shy as a child because I felt so insignificant.

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Degrees of Success My past is consequential to who I am today. To remember my humble beginnings is important to me. My roots made me who I am today.

When I started my doctoral program, I was extremely excited but was also very intimidated. I felt intensely inferior to the other students because they all seemed smarter and better educated than I was.

With English as my second language, academic writing did not come easy. My insecurities and self-doubts were the driving forces that made me work harder. I probably studied twice as hard and wrote twice as long as everyone else. I worked harder and longer to compensate for my shortcomings. I still remember how I struggled during my first course and how frustrating it was when I accidentally erased my paper and had to

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write another one. My will and determination helped me to overcome my fear of failing.

Writing my dissertation has been the most demanding, exhausting, yet highly rewarding endeavor in my life. It was a long and arduous journey

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not just for me but also for my husband and sons who had supported me throughout the process. From my experience, it is easy to get lost along the way, procrastinate, and give in to distractions. But with perseverance and hard work, the finish line is attainable.

I will always remember what my father taught me to help me overcome my inferiority complex as a child: “The harder you work, the luckier you get.� My life would have been completely different if I took a different path 25 years ago. As a first-generation immigrant in the United States, I am proud that I have gotten this far. Of course, there were many hardships and setbacks, but there were also many successes in my life. The little successes I had slowly built my confidence so that over time, I started to believe that I could dream big.

It has been a year since the conferral of my doctoral degree. It was a transformative process for me, a self-discovery experience of how much I could persevere to accomplish something I consider worth-

while. My graduation was a life-fulfilling moment for me—an accomplishment of a lifetime that I am so proud and grateful. The experience made me realize that I am

With perseverance and hard work, the finish line is attainable.

more than I ever thought I was. It changed me. I came out stronger and better. Although it was largely an intellectual endeavor, the physical endurance to multitask and the emotional resilience to persevere when life-changing events happen were critical elements that made my dream a reality. Because I overcame my fears and shortcomings, I came out more hopeful of what the future brings.

Cecelia Fernan, EdD, RNC, is now an assistant professor at the Nevada State College School of Nursing. She is currently pursuing her certification for online teaching.

Health Policy

Advocating to Advance the Profession of Nursing: Opportunities for Student Engagement

BY JANICE M. PHILLIPS, PhD, FAAN, RN “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.

Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”—Margaret Mead

Planting the health policy seed has become increasingly important to professional nursing organizations, nurse educators, and even nursing students who applaud the call for integrating health policy and advocacy content in today’s nursing curricula.

As nursing students become acquainted with the policymaking process, they are also encouraged to familiarize themselves with the various professional and specialty nursing organizations who advocate on behalf of the nursing profession and the patients/consumers they serve.

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umerous nursing organizations including the American Nurses Association (ANA), National Council State

Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), and National League for Nursing (NLN), to name a few, work to ensure that nursing’s voice is represented during

policy discussions on issues that impact health care delivery, patient outcomes, nursing workforce development, and other issues of concern to the

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profession. These and other organizations advocate to ensure that students have financial support to attend nursing school, have access to loan repayment programs, and support to advance their nursing education and training. These organizations work diligently to help ensure that today’s nursing workforce is well prepared to meet the demands of providing highquality health care services in an ever-changing complex

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Health Policy and challenging health care environment.

In this issue, we present information about the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and share insights from AACN Chief Policy Officer Suzanne Miyamoto, PhD, FAAN, RN.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing Since 1969, AACN has been a leader in advancing nursing education, research, and faculty practice. Moreover, AACN serves as a national voice for baccalaureate and graduate nursing education. In addition to creating standards for designing and delivering quality nursing education programs, AACN represents over 810-member schools and colleges of nursing nationwide.

The AACN has a Government Affairs Committee and a Health Policy Advisory Council that coordinate and spearhead several public policy initiatives and activities focused on advancing nursing education, research, and faculty practice.

Currently, the association’s federal policy agenda focuses on four key areas: workforce, higher education, research, and models of care—all ongoing

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public policy imperatives.

Here, Miyamoto shares some insights about her organization and health policy advocacy.

Suzanne Miyamoto, PhD, FAAN, RN, Chief Policy Officer, AACN Describe Your Role and the Role of the AACN in Preparing Today’s Nursing Students in Becoming Influential Advocates in the Health Policy Arena As Chief Policy Officer, I oversee AACN’s policy and advocacy work at the federal level working with all three branches of government. My role and that of our team can be described as strategist, lobbyist, and analyst. To ensure we meet the needs of our member organizations, the association has a Government Affairs Committee and Health Policy Advisory Council that provides guidance when we are reviewing legislative proposals or federal regulations. We want to ensure that what we support, oppose, or remain neutral on is in line with the experiences or challenges of our member institutions.

AACN is in a unique position that we represent the schools of nursing, which includes the deans, faculty, and students.

This requires our advocacy work to be nimble and abreast of the key issues Congress and the Administration are discussing. It is our role to not only develop the strategy but to educate and inform our membership on our position and why we take it. Information is the best offense and the best defense. That is why AACN fully supports all members of a nursing school to be engaged in our advocacy efforts. We have a grassroots network with

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Additional Resources American Association of Colleges of Nursing AACN Student Policy Summit (Check for call for applications) AACN Faculty Policy Intensive AACN Policy and Advocacy

National League of Nursing NLN Advocacy and Public Policy Overview NLN Advocacy Action Center

National Council State Boards of Nursing NCSBN Policy and Government

Information is the best offense and the best defense.

That is why AACN fully supports all members of a nursing school to be engaged in our advocacy efforts. other 11,000 students, faculty, and deans. This network has great potential to grow and offers real-time, advocacy opportunities.

What Are Some Top Priority Policy Issues Impacting the Profession and Health Care Today?

Some key issues impacting the profession today include • Securing funding for N u r s i n g Wo r k f o r c e Development Programs, Title VIII of the Public Health Ser vice Act, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Health Service Corps, among others • The Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act (H.R. 959, S. 1109)

• Health reform • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) • Public Ser vice Loan Forgiveness • Opioid epidemic

What Can Students Do Within Their Area of Influence to Advocate for the Profession?

It is important that students stay informed of the issues. Students need to be active participants in their own learning. To understand what is happening at the federal level, a student must embrace the policy from multiple lens. It is not enough to read one source or one disciple. To truly garner the depth and breadth of the issue, the more voices, for

Health Policy and against, the better one’s understanding becomes.

Securing a basic level of knowledge on an issue that may impact one’s education, research, or future practice is an excellent starting point.

What Resources Are Available for Nursing Faculty Who Are Preparing the Next Generation of Health Policy Activists?

AACN established a Faculty Policy Think Tank

To understand what is happening at the federal level, a student must embrace the policy from multiple lens. It is not enough to read one source or one disciple. To truly garner the depth and breadth of the issue, the more voices, for and against, the better one’s understanding becomes.

Grassroots campaigns are central to any of our efforts. We can be more effective if we know how our national organizations are weighing in on issues.

It’s also important to listen to all perspectives. Again, policy think tanks like the Center for American Progress or the Heritage Foundation may have different political viewpoints, but on some issues, they may see eye to eye. Their rationale for getting there may be different, but it is that difference that can help further an argument depending on the audience.

Students can also join forces with faculty and others to reach out to legislators at the federal, state, and local level on issues important to nursing. Discussing issues with nursing faculty, who can serve as tremendous mentors for those interested in policy, can ignite a passion for this work in the future. That is how I came to seek a career in health policy and advocacy.

It was the foresight of my faculty mentors who gave me the opportunities to succeed.

that worked to prepare a set of recommendations for AACN’s Board of Directors on this exact question. The charge of the group was to inform and improve the state of health policy education in undergraduate and graduate education. The ultimate goal was to consider ways that will help create a generation of future nurses who understand the micro and macro drivers that impact policy—most importantly, how nurses in the future can continue to skillfully insert nursing expertise into policy discussions. The report was released in October 2017.

Turning to the continued need for policy advocacy at the student level, AACN also offers a three-day student policy summit open to undergraduate and graduate nursing students enrolled at AACN member institutions. The program helps to prepare students to engage in policy advocacy and the federal policymaking process. For more information, visit http:// www.aacnnursing.org/PolicyAdvocacy/Get-Involved/StudentPolicy-Summit.

As mentioned earlier, AACN’s 2017–2018 Federal Policy Agenda is well suited to serve as a foundation for shaping policy discussions during online and classroom discussions as well as during virtual and/or actual lobby days. Students are encouraged to speak with their deans and faculty at their nursing programs to learn more about what’s happening within their institutions regarding public policy advocacy efforts that impact nursing education and nursing practice.

Seeking Federal Support for Nursing Workforce Development Programs: A Clarion Call for Continued Advocacy Very central to this discussion is the need for ongoing advocacy to secure funding to support Title VIII programs.

Title VIII programs are administered under the U.S. Department of Health and Human

sity grants supported 7,337 students. Numerous other minority nurses, including minority nurse faculty, have received funding through this program to support their advanced nursing education or pay back student loans.

To learn more about how Title VIII programs are making a difference for nursing students, practicing nurses, academic institutions, and communities at large, visit http://www.aacnnursing.org/ Policy-Advocacy/Title-VIIICommunity-Impact.

As a nursing student, speak with your faculty and professional organizations about how you can play a role in policy advocacy. Throughout nursing’s history, nurses have made a tremendous impact in advancing the profession and the delivery of health care by advocating for issues of importance to them. Developing your knowledge base about these and other issues

Discussing issues with nursing faculty, who can serve as tremendous mentors for those interested in policy, can ignite a passion for this work in the future.

Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. The Nursing Workforce Development Program (Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act) continues to benefit countless numbers of nursing programs, practicing nurses, faculty, students, patients, and communities. In fact, numerous minority nurses continue to benefit from diversity grants because of Title VIII funding. During 2015–2016, the Nursing Workforce Diver-

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impacting the profession is a great first step to becoming an influential advocate on behalf of the profession and the patients and communities you serve.

Janice M. Phillips, PhD, FAAN, RN, is an independent consultant residing in the Chicagoland area.

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@MinorityNurse

The Funny Bone COMPILED BY MICHELE WOJCIECHOWSKI

Nursing can be a tough job, but it has a ton of fun sides as well. Enjoy the following hilarious stories sent in by your fellow nurses. Have a funny tale to tell? E-mail writer Michele Wojciechowski at MWojoWrites@comcast.net to share!

Lights Out! On my first day of clinicals as a nursing student, the instructor paired us up and then told us to become oriented to the unit and to do some simple, non–patient care tasks. So, my buddy and I found some empty beds that needed linen changes.

We raised one to waist height, as we had learned in the nursing lab. What we didn’t notice, though, was the IV pole attached at the headboard.

We proceeded to accidentally rip the entire light fixture off the wall over the bed.

Oops . . .

—T.D., RN

Holy Moly I once had a patient who believed that he was Jesus.

Seriously—he thought that he was Jesus. (As you may have guessed, this was during my psych rotation.)

He would tell us all the time about how he performed miracles. A fellow nursing student had strabismus (also known as “lazy eye”). My Jesus

32

patient would try to heal her eye. Every. Single. Day. He would often lay his hands on her face and yell, “Be healed my child!”

Then he would get so mad and upset when it didn’t work.

He tried to perform miracles every day for three months.

—L.A., RN

Oh No, She Didn’t While working in the emergency room, I had a patient come in complaining of stomach pains. Obviously, we had to examine her to see what was going on. During the examination, a bag of cocaine fell out of her vagina.

She was carrying drugs in her hoo-ha.

After the bag was found, she kept saying, “It’s not mine! It’s not mine!”

Um, it was hers.

—Q.N., RN

Minority Nurse | WINTER 2017-2018

All Wet

Slip Sliding Away

As a nursing student, I’m learning how to do things properly and also how not to do them. Recently at the hospital, I was hanging my very first CBI bag (a very big bag of normal saline), and I spiked the bag. But it went through, and the bag exploded all over me.

Sigh . . .

—Y.T., nursing student

When I was in nursing school, a friend of mine had a patient who received an oil enema. While the patient was running to the bathroom, she wasn’t getting there fast enough, and the oil was dripping out.

She slipped on the oil and proceeded to kind of fly across the entire room.

At least it helped her get there faster . . .

—M.H., RN

Knocked Out

Do you have a funny story to share? It can be something that happened to you at work, while in nursing school, while teaching nursing school—practically anywhere, as long as it involves the nursing field. If so, contact Michele Wojciechowski at MWojoWrites@ comcast.net. We may use your story in a future issue.

Sometimes, I work with patients who get sedation during procedures. So often, when they are coming out of it, they say the funniest things.

For example: One time, I had a patient look me directly in the eye and ask, “Am I dead? ‘Cause you look like an angel!”

Another patient loudly and enthusiastically exclaimed, “I want to buy a pirate ship!”

Finally, and this was a bit uncomfortable for all around, a patient confessed to his wife that he wanted to sleep with her sister. Not good.

—N.R., RN

Academic Opportunities

REGISTERED NURSES At UK HealthCare, we adhere to the principles of inclusion, diversity and affirmation, not only for those we care for, but the entire community.

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If you are a nurse who shares our vision for positive patient outcomes and wants to be part of the most progressive and dynamic environment in the area, we want to talk to you.

For immediate consideration, please visit

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The University of Kentucky is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from minorities and women.

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Minority Nurse Magazine

33

@MinorityNurse

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Minority Nurse Magazine

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You want the best for your patients and you want the best for yourself, too. When you earn a nursing degree from The University of Alabama, you’re earning your degree from one of the top universities in the country. Our distance learning programs work with your schedule. Graduates of our program can advance their careers and improve the care they offer to their patients in communities across the country. Contact us today!

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Minority Nurse Magazine

37

@MinorityNurse

Academic Opportunities

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Minority Nurse | WINTER 2017-2018

Academic Opportunities

LEADING THE WAY IN EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND PRACTICE – LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY MASTER YOUR CAREER PATH The programs at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing open doors for you as a nurse and unlock your potential as a leader. The power of choice defines the very best of career education. No matter which path you choose, our interdisciplinary approach provides you with the tools to address changing health care needs as well as your leadership goals.

Choose your path with a degree from the top-ranked Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Health Systems Management (MSN)* | Public Health Nursing (MSN) | MSN/MPH Joint Degree Advanced Practice DNP* | Executive DNP | PhD | Post-Graduate Certificates* *online options available

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Minority Nurse Magazine

39

@MinorityNurse

Academic Opportunities

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Index of Advertisers ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE # Mercy Medical Center North Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 National Cancer Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 Springer Publishing Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2, C3 ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES Case Western Reserve University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Indiana Wesleyan University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Johns Hopkins University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Monmouth University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 University of Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 University of California Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 University of Delaware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 University of Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

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Minority Nurse | WINTER 2017-2018

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