Nursing outlook
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There is little consensus among faculty mentoring programs as to best practices. While there are recommendations in the literature to base faculty development programs on gap analyses of faculty ratings of actual and preferred performance in teaching, scholarship and service, no gap analysis was found in the literature. ⋯ The priorities and gap analysis were used to guide career development program activities and to develop a plan for future mentor-mentee training and activities. The survey tool demonstrated face validity, variability, and preliminary utility as one method for assessing and guiding improvements in faculty mentorship.
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Performance measurement is a core administrative function and an essential component of organizational quality programs. The prevalence of performance measurement initiatives increased significantly after the release of the Institute of Medicine series on quality. ⋯ Unfinished nursing care is a nursing process performance measure that reflects the complexity of the nursing care environment and can be useful in comparing process performance across systems and organizations. Unfinished nursing care is congruent with many of the National Quality Forum requirements for endorsement and warrants further refinement as an important nurse-sensitive performance measure.
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Comparative Study
State variation in opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions between independent and nonindependent advanced practice registered nurse prescribing states.
Many people lack access to primary care services in the United States. One possible solution is to increase utilization of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). A common patient safety concern about independent prescribing by APRNs is that prescribers will increase prescriptions for medications with abuse/dependence potential, such as opioids or benzodiazepines. ⋯ Independent prescriptive authority, only one piece of APRN practice, has been one of the most controversial issues but one with great potential to help ease access to U.S. health care problems. Empirical evidence demonstrating the safety of this practice can help promote this potential.
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In September of 2014, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) convened a global Rockefeller Bellagio Center workshop focusing on the largely overlooked area of investment in nursing and midwifery enterprise as a means for both empowering women and strengthening health systems and services. The report of this meeting, Empowering Women and Strengthening Health Systems and Services Through Investing in Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise: Lessons from Lower-Income Countries: Workshop Summary, was released in February, 2015. This report represents a pivotal point in a growing body of work begun in 2012, providing insights and perspectives of global experts that have resulted in subsequent global discussions and are paving the way for the future. This three-part article summarizes the initial exploration leading to the IOM workshop and report, followed by highlights and insights from the report and related meetings, and authors concluding discussion of implications for the future and next steps.