The poster session at the 2015 Association for Nursing Professional Development Convention in Las Vegas, NV, featured examples of innovative nursing professional development (NPD) practice from our colleagues. The breadth and depth of NPD projects represented in these posters was more than impressive.
In this special JNPD feature, we are highlighting the three winning poster abstracts. There is much to learn and share via a professional poster. We congratulate all who participated this year and hope these terrific examples will inspire your own practice and creativity.
The winning posters and poster abstracts are the following:
Third Place: Cynthia Willis, DNP, MBA, RN, CMSRN; Cleveland Clinic-Fairview Hospital, Cleveland, OH
"Creating a Simulation Team Using Benner's Novice to Expert" (Figure 1)
In a 10-hospital multispecialty system, the use of simulation expanded into many organizations as a teaching methodology to improve quality of care, examine workflow processes, and create a culture of safety. As simulation was incorporated into the curriculum for orientation and continuing education activity, the clinical educators had various levels of expertise from lack of understanding of manikin setup and operations to facilitated debriefing. Using the International Nursing Associated Clinical Simulation and Learning standards, an online needs assessment was developed to bridge the gap between knowledge and expectations of simulation.
The needs assessment was developed using Benner's novice to expert model by ranking the standards from basic simulation to advanced applications. After the needs assessment was completed, each clinical educator was given a personal ranking of their clinical expertise and category from novice to expert along with a standardized educational and performance expectations for each category. The entire department was assessed as to number of clinical educators in each category and areas of improvement needed. The clinical experts created an educational plan for individual simulation team members to move clinical educator's knowledge and skills acquisition using the novice-to-expert categories. The educational plan includes basic faculty development, terminology of the month, simulation competency sessions, and mentored simulation situations. Future thoughts are to repeat the needs assessment and develop a career ladder for simulation.
Second Place: Barb Hensley, MSN, RN-BC, CPC, and Jennifer Saupe, MSN, RN, CCNS; Cincinnati Children'S Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
"Flipping the Classroom on Age-Specific and Assessment Onboarding Competency" (Figure 2)
Are you thinking of flipping your classroom but are not sure how? Flipped classrooms focus on the learner while moving away from lectures and passive learning. Literature supports that engaging the learner is the key to successful outcomes.
When central educators at a 500-bed pediatric hospital saw blank expressions and texting during lectures and e-learning reviews of age-specific norms and body assessment, they knew it was time to stand things on their head.
Although they were not launching rockets into outer space via the flipped classroom method, this success story illustrates how central educators used flipped classes called NASSAs (nursing age-specific skills and assessment simulations) for basic onboarding registered nurse (RN) competency education. NASSAs included a 1-hour class for each age group from infant through adult using small groups and an emphasis on hands-on learning. Simulations and "NASSA Essentials" included reviewing age-specific normal growth and development, applying age-specific safety considerations, practicing communication with each age level, and performing focused body system assessments. NASSA age-specific scenarios included aspects of cultural competence as well as applying evidence-based best practices in a variety of practice settings. Evaluations showed high levels of learner interest, achievement, and engagement with this example of a flipped classroom.
This successful flipped classroom venture motivates you to shoot for the stars in your onboarding programs by offering flipped classroom variations to find the best vehicle for your learners and launch them to their highest heights.
First Place: Jannise Baclig, PHD, RN, and Margaret Morales, MA, RN, APRN, ACNS NEA-BC; AMN Healthcare, San Diego, CA, Or NY Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
"Partners in an Innovative New Graduate Residency Program" (Figure 3)
In this presentation, leaders of an international healthcare staffing company and an urban academic medical center will describe their innovative partnership to address issues of staffing, new graduate nurses' transition to practice, and timely employability of these new graduates. The partners created an innovative 6-month new graduate supplemental staff residency program. The program increased the pool of experienced RN applicants for supplemental staff positions, reduced training and orientation costs, enhanced the availability of experienced agency RNs, increased the ability to flex staffing up and down using per diem agency nurses, increased retention and reduced turnover of new nurse graduates, and increased new graduate RN employment opportunities in a major academic medical center. The program has shown a substantial return on investment. Participants have also shown satisfaction with the program.
Presenters described their collaboration. They also described this innovative program and its logistics. The staffing company subcontracted to credential, employ, and manage the new graduate nurses. The medical center provided the practice environment, education, training, educators, and preceptors.
Presenters interpreted data collected at prestart, after 6 months and 1 year of employment using the Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey (revised), the Hickey Clinical Instructional Experience Questionnaire, a skills checklist, and a demographic tool. Presenters will also enumerate cost savings achieved.
Presenters encouraged participants to share their own challenges and successes with new graduate residency programs and identify potential partners for their residency endeavors.