For those that have been reading my blog - you know that I was working in a ICU for a rural hospital and also worked as an adjunct clinical instructor for a community college. Most also know that I am rounding out the completion of my graduate degree in nursing education. Whew! Ok - that helps me set the stage because I recently (almost 6 months now) accepted a position as a Nurse Educator for another rural hospital. The hospital never really had a nursing education department, so I was charged with the responsibility of developing this department from scratch.
In my humble opinion - how can a hospital exist without a nursing education department? For obvious reasons - I really can't go into any major detail about what happens when a hospital does not have a nursing education department. Suffice to say - bad things really do happen. Anyway, now I am charged with the responsibility of developing a fully integrated nursing education program of learning that includes the establishment of a nursing orientation, new graduate program and a program of on-going continuing education. It is very exciting, but also very overwhelming. It seems like they had no nursing education and now that they have a nurse educators, every educational need is urgent and a priority. That is the overwhelming part. The best part - being able to construct a nursing education department from the ground floor up and knowing that what you are doing is really laying an infrastructure to help nurses given patients better care. That is pretty awesome!
I will keep you informed of my journey. It should be very interesting to say the least.
I agree with you an educational department/program is really needed for nurses. It's so important to get new nurses oriented and feeling settled. Formal orientation and other programs help with their feeling of being overwhelmed at the beginning or even when making a transition to a new role/specialty.
ReplyDeleteHi Patrick, Is this for real? How could a hospital survive without an education department? Or could it be that this service was outsource as we do every thing else. This should be a great experience for you. To lay down the infrastructure and watch your nurses grow professionally and to see improved patient outcomes is a great accomplishment. I concur, it’s pretty awesome.
ReplyDeleteHi Patrick, Is this for real? How could a hospital survive without an education department? Or could it be that this service was outsource as we do every thing else. This should be a great experience for you. To lay down the infrastructure and watch your nurses grow professionally and to see improved patient outcomes is a great accomplishment. I concur, it’s pretty awesome.
ReplyDeleteHi Patrick, Is this for real? How could a hospital survive without an education department? Or could it be that this service was outsource as we do every thing else. This should be a great experience for you. To lay down the infrastructure and watch your nurses grow professionally and to see improved patient outcomes is a great accomplishment. I concur, it’s pretty awesome.
ReplyDeleteThe hospital did actually have an education department, but the focus of the department was not nursing. In addition, there were very limited resources allocated to nursing education. So, when it is all put together - nursing was geting the short end of teh stick. Or course - this is in the past now and today, the hospital has a department with 3 full time educators. An awesome change that has helped to improve care and enhance best practice for our nurses. Thanks for your response.
ReplyDeletehi Patrick, wow i am i auh as well, no education department!!! i would love to know just how rural your hospital was. I'm sorry did you say this was Canadian or American??LoL. i work in northern Manitoba and Rankin for air ambulance/rescue and there is about twelve to fifteen RNs and we had two education departments. one from the MD guidelines&directives we followed on the plane, and or own, also the local hospitals. but the best thing was our employer was very big on it and 2500.00dollars extra a year was given to upgrade education on your own as well.
ReplyDeletelove your blog so far
hi Patrick, wow i am i auh as well, no education department!!! i would love to know just how rural your hospital was. I'm sorry did you say this was Canadian or American??LoL. i work in northern Manitoba and Rankin for air ambulance/rescue and there is about twelve to fifteen RNs and we had two education departments. one from the MD guidelines&directives we followed on the plane, and or own, also the local hospitals. but the best thing was our employer was very big on it and 2500.00dollars extra a year was given to upgrade education on your own as well.
ReplyDeletelove your blog so far
hey patrick, i was just thinking about you and your new job. i just know everything is going well for you, and you are enjoying yourself completely.
ReplyDeletehow are you going about the teaching plan. what are you going to go over first? let us know, i have you listed in my blog friends so i can follow you
so bye for now, all the way from canada