nursing matters december 2015

www.nursingmattersonline.com

December 2015 • Volume 26, Number 10

NursingmattersINSIDE:

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Tamar Meyers

For some mothers, receiving tiny hats and booties is a routine part of a new baby. For other new mothers, though, the cloth-ing is a necessity for their infant’s survival. This is a lesson Karen Klemp, a neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse, has learned firsthand. Klemp and her husband, Rick, founded an organization to, among other initiatives, send teams to teach infant resuscitation in developing countries. While on a trip in Tanzania, Karen Klemp learned that hypothermia is a leading cause of death for newborns. Though the Tanzanian government mandates that birthing centers provide supplies to new mothers, the task is difficult for finance-strapped clinics.

This past year the organization began an initiative to help mothers welcome their new babies and possibly keep them alive. Volunteers created almost 1,000 bags of clothes, blankets and other

Reach out to the smallest

CONTRIBUTEDAmy Martin, RN, gives supplies to a mom with her newborn baby.

CONTRIBUTEDVolunteers give out newborn kits at the Ngarenaro Health Center — Karen Maternity Ward birthing center in Arusha, Tanzania. From left are Trisha Helland, Karen Klemp, Nancy Comello, Amy Martin and Jane Krogstad.

continued on page 5

December • 2015 Nursingmatters

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EDITORIAL BOARDVivien DeBack, RN, Ph.D., EmeritusNurse ConsultantEmpowering Change, Greenfield, WIBonnie Allbaugh, RN, MSNMadison, WICathy Andrews, Ph.D., RNAssociate Professor (Retired)Edgewood College, Madison, WIKristin Baird, RN, BSN, MSHPresidentBaird Consulting, Inc., Fort Atkinson, WIJoyce Berning, BSNMineral Point, WIMary Greeneway, BSN, RN-BCClinical Education CoordinatorAurora Medical Center, Manitowoc CountyMary LaBelle, RNStaff NurseFroedtert Memorial Lutheran HospitalMilwaukee, WICynthia WheelerRetired NURSINGmatters Advertising Executive, Madison, WI Deanna Blanchard, MSNNursing Education Specialist at UW HealthOregon, WIClaire Meisenheimer, RN, Ph.D.Professor, UW-Oshkosh College of NursingOshkosh, WISteve Ohly, ANPCommunity Health Program ManagerSt. Lukes Madison Street Outreach ClinicMilwaukee, WIJoyce Smith, RN, CFNPFamily Nurse PractitionerMarshfield Clinic, Riverview CenterEau Claire, WIKaren Witt, RN, MSNAssociate ProfessorUW-Eau Claire School of Nursing, Eau Claire, WI

© 2015 Capital Newspapers

The Christmas spirit. What is it? Isn’t it about giving? And isn’t it about

giving of one’s self rather than “things” What an opportunity the nursing profes-sion gives us! It is all about giving of ourselves for others who need to heal or stay well.

In the recent Miss America contest,

Miss Colorado, a professional nurse, as her talent portion gave a five-minute monologue on what it meant to her to be a nurse. She spoke about a particular

patient and how caring had made a difference in that man’s life. Instead of a gown she wore scrubs and a stetho-scope. When Joy Behar of “The View” questioned why a nurse was wearing a stethoscope, it really raised the ire of the nurses of this country. It resulted in a meaningful Facebook post called “Show me your Stethoscope.” Nurses from all over the country have been telling their stories on Facebook. It has been a great opportunity to be a voice for nursing and to tell non-nurses what nursing is all about. The one consistent theme that runs through all the stories is the significance of caring for others and how nurses are energized by patients

appreciating that care.Nursing embodies the spirit of

Christmas. So this Christmas instead of thinking, “What ‘thing’ can I get for this person,” why not think, “What beautiful, caring thing can I do for this person?” Give a gift of yourself. You will be so glad you did!

Editor’s Note: Miss Colorado, Kelley Johnson, will be the luncheon speaker at the NURSINGmatters EXPO in February. Please be sure to register! See ad on page 8.

Christmas spirit: Give to others

Kaye Lillesand

Jay HeckCommon Cause in Wisconsin

Editor’s Note: You probably have heard me say this before. “What happens in the Legislature impacts what happens at the bedside!” Current examples of this include

• Look what is happening to school nurs-ing with all the cuts to the education budget;

• Look at what is happening to public health nursing with all the leg-islation impacting air, water, food and road quality;

• Look what is happening to mental health nursing with all the cuts to the men-tal health budget.

How can we promote healing and wellness without governmental support for its citizens?

The situation in our state is bad enough under existing conditions, but with the recent bills passed regarding the Gov-ernment Accountability Board and cam-paign-financing transparency, the poten-tial for our own Wisconsin “Tammany Hall” with all its corruption and abuse of power is imminent. – See the Common Cause article below.

Nurses, it’s time to become REALLY involved and advocate for our citizens and our profession!

Regarding Wisconsin Assembly Vote on Assembly Bills 387 and 388

The corrupt status quo in Wisconsin not only prevailed (this past month), it triumphed completely. The majority party in the State Assembly and the State Senate moved Wisconsin far back into the past, vanquishing more than 100 years of transparency and sensible limits on

special-interest political money – reforms which, in part, date back to the governor-ship of Robert M. LaFollette Sr.

The destruction of the nine-year-old, non-partisan Government Accountability Board was based on completely discred-ited charges, false premises, character assassination and outright falsehoods. The enactment into law of both the Gov-ernment Accountability Board destruction – AB 388 – and campaign finance deform – AB 387 – measures, in combination with the recently enacted law to exempt polit-ical crimes from being investigated under the state’s John Doe process, all combine to allow political corruption to take root and flourish in Wisconsin. In secret.

Legislative Democrats and Republi-can state Sen. Rob Cowles of Green Bay deserve citizen thanks for opposing the campaign-finance deform legislation.

Legislative Democrats and Republican state Rep. Todd Novak of Dodgeville, Rep. Warren Petryk of Eleva and Rep. Travis Tranel of Cuba City deserve thanks for opposing the Government Accountability Board-destruction measure.

This will be remembered as one of the saddest and darkest days in Wisconsin history, at the end of one of the most horrendous months in our state’s 167-year history, when honest, accountable and transparent state government was systematically dismantled in favor of hyper-partisan political advantage, retro-active decriminalization and revenge.

The sun will rise again in our state. But we will all need to pull together to make that happen.

Darkness Descends on Wisconsin

Brenda Zarth

Reflexology is a form of bodywork that focuses primar-ily on the feet. The underlying theory behind Reflexology is that there are “reflex” areas on the feet and hands that correspond to specific

organs, glands and other parts of the body. It’s based on the premise that all nerves of the spinal cord connect from the top of the head to the feet. The toes reflect the head; the ball of the foot reflects the heart and chest; the arch of the foot the liver, pancreas and kidney; etc.

Early practitioners believed that apply-ing pressure to these reflex areas could promote health in the corresponding organs through energetic pathways. Dr. William H. Fitzgerald, an ear, nose and throat physician, introduced this concept in 1915. Eunice Ingram, a physiotherapist, further developed it in the 1930s into what is called Reflexology. More recently,

What is Reflexology?

Brenda Zarth

WHAT IF ...

continued on page 3

December • 2015www.nursingmattersonline.com

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Assistant Professor of Nursing

The Henry Predolin School of Nursing at Edgewood College announces the opening fortwo full-time tenure track faculty positions beginning with the academic year 2014-2015.Responsibilities include teaching at the undergraduate and graduate (MSN and DNP) levels.Graduate concentrations include Nursing Administration and Leadership.

Qualifications:• Earned PhD in Nursing (preferred), or doctorate in related field with a Master’s degreein Nursing; DNP may be considered

• Eligible for RN licensure in the State of Wisconsin• Evidence of teaching, scholarly and community services potential• Knowledge and skills in contemporary practice issues related to the AACN Essentials• Demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion, and multiculturalcompetence

To Apply: Send a letter of application, resume, and references to:Edgewood CollegeHuman Resources – APN11000 Edgewood College DriveMadison, WI 53711www.edgewood.eduE-mail: [email protected] Equal Opportunity Employer

TheHenry Predolin School of Nursing at Edgewood College announces the opening fortwo full-time tenure track faculty positions beginning with the academic year 2015-2016.Responsibilities include teaching at the undergraduate and graduate (MSN and DNP) levels.Graduate concentrations include Nursing Administration and Leadership.

Reflexologycontinued from page 2

Dr. Jesus Manzanares established the neurophysiological basis of Reflexology. His work has demonstrated that deposits that are being rubbed out on the feet have a higher nerve fiber and vascular element than similar-appearing hypodermis-level deposits. His research has further defined the communication pathways involved in Reflexology. Visit www.manzanares-method.com to learn more about his work.

I went to Reflexology because I was frustrated with my asthma and my depen-dence on inhalers. My chest felt congested most of the time, with a constant aware-ness of decreased lung capacity. I had been trying to exercise but I needed to be able to breathe better to exercise. My body felt disconnected. I really wanted this treatment to work. As my therapist was rubbing on my feet I tried to figure out what organ connection she was rubbing on, based on the sensations in my body.

I could identify when she hit the zone for my lungs because I inadvertently took a deep breath that seemed free of restriction. I could tell when she was working on my pelvis because I would have a muscle spasm ripple through my abdomen. It felt like an internal stretching or flexing of unknown muscles and tissues, an unwinding of a knot. With each session I became more aware of the internal workings of my body. I always left a session feeling very relaxed

like I had just had a warm internal shower – relaxed and content but revitalized.

In one session my therapist was rubbing on the inside edge of my foot in a new area, and she said, “I just went to a seminar and learned something new; did you have a trauma 12 years ago, maybe a car accident?”

I said, “No, never been in a serious car accident.”

As soon as the words were out I felt propelled into the past, and I was sitting in my car white-knuckling the steering wheel, feeling like I wanted to scream, driving to work at 10:30 p.m., very unhappy with my life. I was thinking, “My stress level is at a 9.5/10 and I don’t know how to fix it.” I was frustrated and disap-pointed in myself. “Why couldn’t I deal better with my situation?” I was working 50 to 60 hours a week, rotating days and nights. My husband was unemployed and we were remodeling our house. I had three small children plus a foster child; six peo-ple were sleeping in two rooms.

I suddenly realized that anyone in that situation would have probably felt stressed. I was not deficient for having a hard time dealing with it. I could suddenly appreciate that anyone might feel out of control in this situation. As I “forgave” myself for my feel-ings of inadequacy, the dream evaporated and so did the stress. Poof; it was gone. I felt overexposed and raw, but cleansed. My therapist was unaware of where my mind had been and the stress that had been

Helen Creighton 1914-1995

Reprint in a series written by Signe Cooper and introduced by Laurie Glass in Nursingmatters

Helen Creighton was a well-known nurse attorney before she joined the faculty of the University of Milwaukee School of Nursing in 1969. Although she was not the first nurse attorney in the country, she did more than any other to sensitize nurses to their legal responsibilities.

She was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, on March 7, 1914, the daughter of Dr. Lawrence Creigh-ton and Maud McCutcheon Creighton. Broadly educated, at the age of 18 Creigh-ton received an AB from Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. She was later awarded an MA in social studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. From 1933 through 1937 she taught in public schools in Pennsylvania, and then earned her Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. She was admitted to the bar in 1943.

After several years as a practicing attor-ney, she entered Georgetown University School of Nursing in Washington, D.C., receiving a diploma in 1953 and a BSN three years later. Her Masters in Nursing was from St. Louis University, with a spe-cialty in cardiovascular nursing.

Creighton was a staff nurse for the Washington, D.C., Visiting Nurse Asso-ciation for a year before being appointed to the faculty of Georgetown University School of Nursing where she served from 1954 to 1959. She then joined the faculty at the University of Southwestern Lou-isiana at Lafayette, where she remained for nearly 10 years. Appointed professor

at the UW- Milwaukee School of Nursing, she was named a distin-guished professor in 1978.

A prolific author, Creighton wrote on the legal aspects of nursing and on cardiovascular nursing. She published more than 300 articles, including a monthly column in “Supervisor Nurse” – later titled “Nurs-ing Management” – for many

years. Her popular book, “Law Every Nurse Should Know,” first published in 1957, was revised four times. She also co-authored with Catherine Armington “Nursing of People with Cardiovascular Problems.” She was frequently sought as a speaker at national meetings and conferences, both in this country and abroad. Her manner was somewhat brusque, but her audience was attentive to her important message.

Creighton served as a visiting pro-fessor at several schools of nursing and as a consultant to many institutions. For her unique contributions to nursing, she received numerous citations, commen-dations and awards. She was elected a Fellow in the America Academy of Nurs-ing in 1977. The next year she received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Georgetown University for pioneering legal aspects of nursing nationally and internationally. That year she also received a citation for meritorious service from President Ronald Reagan.

The UW-Milwaukee School of Nursing honored her beginning in 1979 through its annual Helen Creighton Day.

Helen Creighton died Feb 19, 1995.

Nurse defined legal responsibilities

Helen Creighton

continued on page 4


The 2011 Institute of Medicine Future of Nursing Report recommends that 80 percent of nurses have a BSN by the year 2020. Of all nurses licensed in Wisconsin, 44.1 percent hold baccalaureate degrees and another 11.7 percent are prepared with a master’s degree or higher. Many organi-zations in Wisconsin are working to facili-tate advancing nursing degrees in our state

A program from the Wisconsin Center for Nursing now recognizes these efforts.

As co-lead for the Wisconsin Action Coalition and as part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation State Implementa-tion Program grant award – Wisconsin Nursing LEADs the PACC: Partnerships

in Action for Community Care – the Wisconsin Center for Nursing has teamed with the Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives to develop a unique recog-nition program for those organizations striving to advance nursing education.

The program committee was led by Judith Hansen, MS, RN, Wisconsin Cen-ter for Nursing executive director, and included Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives members:

• Peggy Ose, MSN, BSN, RN, FACHE, vice-president of Patient Services and chief nursing officer at Aspirus Riverview Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids;

• Laura Hieb, MBA, BSN, RN, NE-BC,

chief nursing officer, Bellin Health Sys-tem; and

• Steve Rush, PhD, RN, vice-president Workforce & Clinical Practice, Wisconsin Hospital Association.

Organizations taking part in the pro-gram will be known as LEAD Organiza-tions, “Leading by Example to Advance Degrees.” The program will focus on recognizing those organizations which are taking positive steps toward, or making progress on, BSN completion as part of the Institute of Medicine goal for 80 per-cent BSN by 2020.

Emphasis is being placed on process, strategies and commitment to advancing nursing education. There is no expectation or requirement for participants to achieve 80 percent by 2020, but rather to recog-nize critical efforts and provide opportu-nity to engage with other organizations in a common cause, as well as to share key learnings and successful strategies. Many efforts are underway in Wisconsin; nurses are encouraged to be part of the learning environment. Every organization, large

or small, has something to contribute to advancing nursing.

Participants will be recognized in var-ious ways. A dedicated webpage on the Wisconsin Center for Nursing website at www.wisconsincenterfornursing.org will highlight the organization and a leader who can serve as a contact person, along with details of efforts to advance nursing education. The organizations will also be identified in national reports to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

To be recognized for efforts to advance nursing education, submit a brief summary – 300 words or less – on an organization’s approach. Include a name and contact information, the link to the organization’s website, and if possible, a photograph of a key leader in the initiative. Submitting organizations will be added to the gallery of LEAD organizations on the Wisconsin Cen-ter for Nursing website. Email info@ wicenterfornursing.org to submit applica-tions. Contact Judith Hansen at 414-801-6877 for more information.

WCN begins recognition program

Bellin Health System and Bellin College are the first to be recognized as “Leading by Example to Advance Degrees” organi-zations as part of a new Wisconsin Center of Nursing recognition program.

The organizations conducted an anal-ysis of current staff-education levels; the data on attrition rates, expected retire-ments and addition of new RNs were cal-culated. Utilizing this information, Bellin Health Chief Nursing Officer Laura Hieb determined that by elevating 100 existing

nurses with diplomas or associate degrees in nursing to a BSN level, by requiring a reten-tion commitment of two to four years, plus by mandating any new-hire nurses with associate degrees to have a bachelor’s degree within five

years, Bellin would achieve the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation that 80 percent of the nursing workforce be BSN or higher by 2020. Currently, 58 percent of the 900-plus nurses in Bellin Health System have a BSN or higher degree.

Collaboration with the college began in an effort to achieve the institute’s recom-mendation metric, with a series of focus groups were held regarding interest in the creation of a BSN-completion program.

Feedback from the focus groups and a high interest from the nursing staff determined that tuition assistance cov-ering 70 percent of the costs would make the program feasible. Having nurses

contribute 30 percent created incentive to stay engaged in the program. Tuition rates were adjusted to be commensurate with that of state colleges. Once this was achieved, the curriculum was built and accreditation for a two-year BSN Com-pletion Program was awarded.

The program will accept cohorts of 20 students annually during the next five years to reach a total of 100 students. A return-on-investment was calculated based on cost of turnover and impact of retaining new BSN nurses. Utilizing the current attrition rate and calculating $50,000 per nurse, the retention require-ment potentially assists the system in decreasing turnover costs by $1 million per 20 nurses retained. The mandated reten-tion would come at a time of increased retirements, thereby creating a financial win for the organization. The cohorts will complete projects on improvement work within the organization. This creates a double win: a win for the employee in val-ue-added work, and a win for the organi-zation in focused energy on key initiatives.

The first cohort was selected by Hieb and Bellin College after a rigorous appli-cation process; the program began in fall 2015. Bellin College professors worked closely with the Bellin leadership team to craft a 30-credit nursing curriculum closely aligned with “BSN Essentials,” as well as with the strategic direction of the Bellin Health System and its vision of helping people in the region become the healthiest in the nation.

Visit www.wisconsincenterfornursing.org for more information.

Bellin embraces 2020 challenge

Laura Hieb

Reflexologycontinued from page 3released. She was still rubbing my feet.

I’ve been told that Reflexology can open nerve connections, remove block-ages and improve sluggish communi-cation between the brain and internal organs. I’ve been told we can store emotional dilemmas in our connective tissue, like scar tissue or a cyst, so we don’t need to maintain it in the forefront of our minds. In my mind I can imagine that Reflexology can find these scars or cysts and free them – at a time when

we are safe in our current situation and have the ability to realize that it’s okay to let them go. Reflexology leaves behind an increased awareness of who I am and an increased connection to the internal workings of my body. It feels like I’ve checked in with my organs and tissues and fine- tuned the electrical system of my body.

Visit www.integratedreflexologistsofwi.org to find a Reflexologist in your area.

Email [email protected] or visit brendashealthplan.blogspot.com to give comments.


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CONTRIBUTEDKaren Klemp shows 300 completed new-baby kits.

CONTRIBUTEDAmy Martin, RN, has help from her daughter Chloe while packing newborn kits.

CONTRIBUTEDVolunteers put together newborn kits to send overseas.

Smallestcontinued from page 1supplies. A group of more than 40 volun-teers gathered this past month for the lat-est packing event, shedding layers of coats as they warmed up at the Prairie Athletic Club in Sun Prairie. They stuffed bags, choosing clothing from tables piled with stacks of hats, onesies and blankets.

One of the volunteers was at the event because of his firsthand experience. John Nyimbo, visiting from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, said he wants to help prevent infant fatalities in his homeland.

Many packing participants, like Amy Martin, were local nurses. Martin works in the Meriter Hospital neonatal ICU with Karen Klemp; she has traveled to Tanzania to teach infant resuscitation and other skills. Martin said she was struck by watching new mothers arrive at the clinic, forced to bring along their own labor sup-plies. Often all the clinics could provide was a bed sheet.

“It was pretty eye-opening,” Mar-tin said.

Dave Comello, an occupational thera-pist, has also visited Tanzania. He said the experience spurred him to do more.

“Once you meet these people and their families, it really motivates you to put substance to the caring,” he said.

The kits are distributed in backpacks that can also double as diaper bags. They contain supplies mandated by the Tanza-nian government along with some extra gear. The organization sends the bags to Tanzania in large containers or with other organizations traveling to other countries — as long as they go to mothers in need.

Nancy Comello, an Edgewood College

nursing instructor, has taken bags to Gua-temala. She’s currently working on a proj-ect to train midwives in dealing with birth complications and infant resuscitation. She said midwives will distribute the bags to mothers in need.

Karen Klemp said packing events have brought in families, individuals and mid-dle school or high school volunteers.

“It’s a simple way to help babies sur-vive,” she said. “It’s a simple way that the community can get involved.”

Each bag contained a pair of flip-flops, which First Choice Insurance Solutions agents Nicole and Bret LaBuwi collect in yearly drives. According to Karen Klemp, many mothers enter and exit hospitals barefoot. Nicole LaBuwi came to the packing event with her children; she said participating has helped teach them les-sons about service.

“It helps our kids understand the needs of others, instead of just themselves,” she said.

Brooke, her 10-year-old daughter, said the bags are important, “so babies can get what they should have.”

At the event, the LaBuwis and other volunteers carefully pulled items out of piles and carried them around the tables. Karen Klemp said she has been struck by the care that participants put into packing each bag.

“(It’s) almost like they have a specific baby in mind,” she said.

Volunteers also write a personal mes-sage on each bag – “happy birthday baby” was a popular one from the younger par-ticipants.

Klemp said her organization’s mantra is “breathing life into the next generation.” This addresses the physical side – the

organization’s infant-resuscitation pro-grams – but also the spiritual aspects.

“It shows kindness on behalf of anyone who participates,” she said. “It’s a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

There are more than 250 nurse-man-aged health clinics throughout the nation that serve as a medical home for more than 3 million people in underserved rural and urban settings. Nurse-led clinics managed by advanced practice nurses were honored across the nation in November through a Senate resolution. The resolution officially marked Nov. 8-14 as National Nurse-Managed Health Clinic Week. U.S. Senate Resolution 303, co-sponsored by Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon launches a national campaign to bring awareness to nurse-managed health clinics and the vul-nerable communities they serve.

Nurse-managed health clinics play a pioneering role in health care innovation by testing new modalities of primary health care and offering clinical training sites for the next generation of providers. National Nurse-Managed Health Clinic

U.S. Senate recognizes

nursing importance

continued on page 6


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Inspired to care

Marquette University: 2015 honors and grants achieved by staffHonors:Diane Dressler, M.S.N., C.C.R.N.,

clinical assistant professor – awarded the 2015 Teaching Excellence Award.

Marilyn Frenn, Ph.D., C.N.E., A.N.E.F., F.T.O.S., professor – awarded the 2015 Way Klingler Teaching Enhancement Award.

Norah Johnson, Ph.D., R.N., C.P.N.P., A.P.N.P., assistant professor – awarded the Julie Lathrop Nursing Research Award, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

Donna McCarthy, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., interim dean and professor – awarded the Distinguished Service Award, Midwest Nursing Research Society.

Grants:Marianne Weiss, D.N.Sc., R.N.,

professor – awarded $675,000 for “READI – Readiness Evaluation and Discharge Interventions: Implementation as a Standard Nursing Practice for Hospital Discharge,” American Nurse Credentialing Center, with Dr. Kathleen Bobay and Dr. Ronda Hughes.

Leona VandeVusse, Ph.D., R.N., C.N.M., F.A.C.N.M., associate professor – awarded $237,299 for “Marquette University – Nurses Supporting Families to Improve Maternal and Infant Outcomes,” Health Resources and Services Administration.

Margaret J. Bull, Ph.D., R.N., professor – awarded $100,000 for “Preparing Faculty Scholars in Nursing,” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Senatecontinued from page 5

Week recognizes the capacity of nurse-led clinics to provide accessible, high-quality and affordable health services to patients who would not otherwise have access to care.

To further underscore the revolution-ary impact of nurse-led care nationally and globally, the National Nursing Centers Consortium – a national nonprofit orga-nization supporting nurse-led care as a solution to health care disparities – held its annual conference Nov. 12-13 in Phil-adelphia. The conference focused on the sustainability of nurse-managed health clinics and the future of nurse-led care.

The National Nursing Centers Consor-tium serves as an incubator for innovative nurse-led community-based programs. As part of its conference, the consortium highlighted the kickoff of two major ini-tiatives with support from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation.

The “Transforming Clinical Practices” initiative is one of the largest federal qual-ity-improvement programs of its kind; the National Nursing Centers Consortium will be supporting nurse practitioner

involvement in this critical initiative. Hill-man funding will support the consortium and Widener University in a collaboration to create a community-integrated “Public Health Nursing/Legal Partnership,” serv-ing the health and social needs of low-in-come mothers and babies in Philadelphia. Both these major initiatives recognize the importance of nurse-led care and further enable the consortium to fulfill its mission by enabling nurse-managed health clinic leaders to transform practices and better address the social determinants of health.

“With a known shortage of prima-ry-care physicians, advanced-prac-tice nurses, nurse practitioners and nurse-managed health clinics are vital to ensuring access to high-quality and affordable health care for millions of people,” said Tine Hansen-Turton, chief executive officer of the consortium. “This resolution, in addition to our annual conference, initiates a national dialogue to bring awareness to the innovative ways that nurse-led care closes gaps in care, lowers costs, and is creating a future in which access to primary and preventive care is a reality for everyone.”

Amy Barton, chairman of the board at the consortium, said, “Nurse practitioners who serve as primary-care providers in the nurse-managed health clinics are now the face of primary care in our country. We are glad to see national attention brought to the evolving role of nurse-led care. And the fact that it is happening during our national conference focusing on the sus-tainability of nurse-managed health clin-ics makes this week all the more special.”

Visit www.nncc.us for more information.The National Nursing Centers Consor-

tium is a 501©(3) non-profit member asso-ciation that advocates for advanced-prac-tice nurses as primary providers of health care and serves as an incubator for inno-vative, replicable, community-based health education and outreach programs.

“With a known shortage of primary-care physicians,

advanced-practice nurses, nurse practitioners and nurse-managed health

clinics are vital to ensuring access to high-quality and

affordable health care for millions of people.”

Tine Hansen-Turton, chief executive officer of the consortium


Editor’s Note: It would be a good idea for nurses to read this book before they are peppered with questions from their non-nurse friends.

Award-winning journalist and New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Robbins presents a gripping, in-depth

examination of the nursing subculture with her newest work of investigative journalism, “The Nurses.” This lively, fast-paced narrative will entertain, shock and inform as it takes readers behind the

scenes, revealing life-saving, titillating and jaw-dropping insider secrets known only to those who’ve worn scrubs.

“The Nurses” follows four real RNs in different hospitals throughout one year:

Molly is funny, well-loved and confident enough to quit a longtime job after her hospital ramps up its anti-nurse policies.

Lara is a superstar nurse battling her way back from a near-ruinous prescrip-tion-drug addiction that led her to steal meds from her own ER.

Juliette is outspoken but compassionate, a fierce advocate for her patients.

Sam is a new nurse struggling to find her way in a gossipy mean-girl climate she likens to “high school, except for the dying people.”

Their extraordinary experiences are supported by investigative essays, including interviews with hundreds of other nurses who share their stories about everything from sex in the hospital – Robbins’ survey of nurses found that 87 percent of respondents know nurses who have slept with colleagues – to the “code of silence” within their sisterhood.

Other topics include:• Doctors behaving badly: Doctors’

behavior toward nurses – i.e. throwing scalpels at them or berating them – affects patients. Nationwide, 63 percent of cases resulting in patients’ unanticipated death or permanent disability can be traced back

to communication failures such as this type of common disruptive behavior.

• Violence in the workplace: Patient assaults on nurses are rampant, but hos-pitals discourage nurses from reporting them. According to the Emergency Nurses Association, nine out of 10 nurses were assaulted at work in the past three years.

• Nurse-on-nurse bullying: Sabo-tage, hazing and a culture of nurses “eat-ing their young.”

• Don’t be sick in July and other secrets: Why patients aren’t treated equally, even during Code Blues; how patients and families can get better hospital care; secret VIP rooms and treatment; when doctors and nurses bet money on patients; what you don’t know about your doctor; and more.

• How hospitals trick patients:Robbins’ investigation found that two-thirds of low-performing hospitals scored higher than the national average on the key survey question upon which hospi-tals’ Medicare reimbursements are based. Hospitals are sacrificing patient health for patient “satisfaction.”

• Why nurses are heroes: The public has no idea just how crucial, skilled and self-sacrificing nurses truly are – and that their jobs are so complicated, exhausting and rewarding – because TV shows have it wrong.

“The Nurses” is a brilliantly told narrative providing readers with critical takeaways that could save their lives or ensure better hospital care for themselves and their families. Robbins’ skills as both storyteller and reporter are on full display as she gives voice to the millions of nurses who until now have been ignored or muzzled. Doctors are given the glory, but nurses are the heroes. After reading “The Nurses,” you will never view healthcare in the same way again.

The Nurses – A Year of Secrets, Drama and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital

Alexandra Robbins

“The Nurses” by Alexandra Robbins

369 pages

Published by Workman Publishing Company

Available on Amazon as hard-back or digital

BOOK REVIEW

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