Nurse Residency Programs
A big thank you to the speakers and participants who made the July 9^th meeting on nurse residencies a success.  Over 75 people attended from across the State.  Also, a very special thank you to Mercy Des Moines for providing a state-of-the-art conference room, complete with technology to support a live webinar, panel discussion and presentations.  The University of Iowa College of Nursing sponsored the refreshments.

Dr. Katherine Virkstis from the Nursing Executive Center of The Advisory Board Company presented on their study of competencies needed in new RN graduates to bridge the gap between nurse preparation and practice.  Dr. Carol Watson gave an overview of nurse residency programs and why they are needed.  Descriptions of current nurse residency programs were provided by:

• Nancy Fink, Iowa Health System
• Lori Forneris, Loring Hospital
• Janet Hosking, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
• Christa Steffens, Mercy – Cedar Rapids

During the question and answer session, participants learned about other nurse residency programs at Pella Regional Health Center and Mercy Medical Center in Clinton. 

The Iowa Action Coalition is excited to move forward with the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation to implement nurse residency programs.  Statewide constituents chose nurse residencies as a priority for Iowa because recruiting and training new nurse graduates will reach critical levels in the next ten years as nearly half of the nurse workforce retires.  As of 2011, 43% of Iowa’s RNs are age 51 or older and 23% are aged 41 to 50 years.  Putting nurse residency programs in place now will prevent experienced nurses from being overburdened with facilitating the transition of new RNs while ensuring safe, high quality care delivery in their institutions.  Also, institutions with residency programs have a much easier time recruiting new nurse graduates. 

Materials from the July 9^th meeting will be posted at: http://www.nursing.uiowa.edu/iowa-action-coalition [1].  The Advisory Board Company offered to make hard copies available of the following reports from The New Graduate Nurse Preparation Series:

• Bridging the Preparation-Practice Gap Volume I: Quantifying New Graduate Nurse Improvement Needs
• Bridging the Preparation-Practice Gap Volume II: Best Practices for Accelerating Practice Readiness
• Transitioning New Graduates to Hospital Practice: Profiles of Nurse Residency Program Exemplars

Please contact Kathryn Dorsey at kathryn-dorsey@uiowa.edu [2] or 319-335-7008 to request a copy. 

Request for Members of Nurse Residency Task Force
The next step from the July 9^th meeting is to form a task force within the Iowa Action Coalition to develop a competency-based curriculum that Iowa institutions could use as a template for their nurse residency program.  The task force also will create a toolkit of resources to facilitate delivery of the program.  Because Iowa is second in the nation with its 80 critical access hospitals, the State could lead the way in creating a model for forming partnerships to deliver the residency curriculum using distance technologies.  If you are interested in joining the task force, please send your name and contact information to Kathryn Dorsey at kathryn-dorsey@uiowa.edu [2]. 

RN-BSN Articulation Task Force
The RN-BSN Articulation Task Force has made tremendous progress in implementing the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation to increase the proportion of RNs with baccalaureate preparation.  The task force is working with the Iowa Board of Nursing to change the continuing education requirement for new RNs.  Starting in January 1, 2015, the proposal states that new RNs with associate’s degrees must complete their BSN within five years as a condition of license renewal.  Individuals that have their RN prior to January 1, 2015 would not be affected by the new rule. 

If the Iowa Board of Nursing is successful in passing the proposed administrative rule, then Iowa’s RN-BSN programs would need to prepare for an increase in student enrollment.  Leaders of the RN-BSN programs have already committed to increasing capacity to support the proposal.  Most RN-BSN programs already use online technologies to deliver their content, so students would not need to relocate to complete their BSN, and they could continue to work full time. 

The RN-BSN Articulation Task Force will continue taking steps to ensure seamless progression from ADN to BSN, including aligning admissions and prerequisite requirements for ADN programs with BSN programs. 

Midwest Regional Action Coalition Education Meeting
Donna Orton from North Iowa Area Community College and Rita Frantz from the University of Iowa College of Nursing attended the Midwest Regional Action Coalition Education Meeting on April 16-17, 2012.  Participants gathered again on July 11^th via webinar to share their progress in enhancing the educational preparation of the nursing workforce.  Staff from the Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA) presented examples of new initiatives being implemented across the nation to streamline academic progression for nurses.  An archived video of the webinar and related materials are available at:

http://championnursing.org/webinar-video-midwestern-education [3]

Steering Committee
The purpose of the Steering Committee is to broaden the cadre of champions in Iowa for the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action.  The Iowa Action Coalition will be working with all constituents affected by health care.  To be successful, the benefits of the coalition need to be understood and experienced by patients, employers, policy-makers, insurers, educators and all health care providers.  By design, the Steering Committee is comprised of leaders outside of nursing.  Their expertise will guide the activities of the Coalition to ensure that it engages the entire spectrum of stakeholders.

The first meeting of the Steering Committee was Friday, June 22nd.  Members gave valuable advice on potential funding sources to support tuition for nursing students.  Members also identified some concerns that the Coalition will address proactively to keep moving forward with its goals.  For example, RN-BSN programs need to demonstrate that they have the capacity to support the proposed rule change that (after 1/1/2015) new RNs with associate’s degrees need to get a BSN within five years to renew their license. 

Members of the Steering Committee include:

• Steve Ackerson, executive director of Iowa Health Care Association
• Eric Crowell, president and CEO of Iowa Health – Des Moines
• Jack Evans, Iowa Board of Regents and president of Hall-Perrine Foundation
• James FitzPatrick, senior vice president of network development, Mercy Des Moines
• Tom Newton, vice president of network engagement at Wellmark BCBS
• Kirk Norris, president of Iowa Hospital Association
• Bob Russell, Bureau of Oral and Health Delivery Systems, Iowa Department of Public Health
• Lisa Sieren, statewide coordinator of United Ways of Iowa
• Tom Sinsky, MD, Medical Associates Clinic and Health Plans
• Tori Squires, Iowa Primary Care Association and Iowa Rural Health Association
• Pat Thieben, Iowa Department of Education
• Sharon Treinen, executive council member of Iowa AARP

How to Get Involved
We welcome and encourage your involvement with the Iowa Action Coalition.  You don’t need to be a nurse or a member of a nursing organization, but you do need to be committed to the goal of providing all Iowans with access to high-quality, patient-centered care in a health care system where nurses contribute as essential partners in achieving success.  Some simple ways that you can help include:

• Sharing information about the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action (contact kathryn-dorsey@uiowa.edu [2] for campaign materials)
• Listening to webinars at http:// [4]championnursing.org/webinars [4]
• Contacting kathryn-dorsey@uiowa.edu [2] to:
  • Request a speaker for a conference or other event
  • Request an article for a newsletter or other publication

Volunteer for a work group or review panel