Nurses' research utilization two years after graduation: A Swedish National Study

Nurses' research utilization (RU) as part of evidence-based practice is strongly emphasized in today's nursing education and clinical practice. The primary aim of RU is to provide high-quality nursing care to patients. A new Swedish national research study (published May 18, 2012) found that data on newly graduated nurses' RU was scarce, but a predominance of low use had been reported in other recent studies where about 50 % of the nurses one, two, and three years after graduation rated their use of research in clinical practice as low or very low. Also some factors associated with nurses' RU had previously been identified, including educational ones. With recent educational reforms, evidence-based nursing and RU are now strongly emphasized internationally in nursing education. A number of challenges remain, however, regarding the content of nursing education and the transition from education into working life (e.g., the integration of education and practice as well as the ability of students to access and interpret evidence). The purpose of this study was therefore to identify factors that predict the probability for low RU among registered nurses two years after graduation.
 
Citation: Forsman H, Rudman A, Gustavsson P, Ehrenberg A, Wallin L. (2012) Nurses' research utilization two years after graduation--a national survey of associated individual, organizational, and educational factors. Implementation Science 2012, 7:46 doi:10.1186/1748-5908-7-46.

Nursing Jobs in Ontario

A Canadian Press article today on CTV News Kitchener announced that Ontario will be hiring an additional 900 nurses this year, with the majority of those jobs being in nursing homes and community-based care settings. Click on the post title to read more.

New AACN Statistics Show an Increase in Nursing Enrollment

New AACN Statistics Show an Increase in Nursing Enrollment
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has released new data which shows an enrollment surge in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs. In fact more than 75,000 qualified applications to professional nursing programs were turned away in 2011. Despite the fact that US nursing schools have been able to expand student capacity even in the face of faculty and resource shortfalls, "the latest data show that 75,587 qualified applications to professional nursing programs were turned away last year, including more than 14,354 applications to graduate programs." Click on the link for the full report on the AACN website.

Evidence-based Practice Among Swedish Novice Nurses

Evidence-based Practice Among Novice Nurses
"A modest start, but a steady rise in research use: a longitudinal study of nurses during the first five years in professional life." by Lars Wallin, Petter Gustavsson, Anna Ehrenberg and Ann Rudman
Implementation Science 2012, 7:19 doi:10.1186/1748-5908-7-19,  Published: 19 March 2012.

Rationale for the study: "Newly graduated nurses are faced with a challenging work environment that may impede their ability to provide evidence-based practice. However, little is known about the trajectory of registered nurses' use of research during the first years of professional life. Thus, the aim of the current study was to prospectively examine the extent of nurses' use of research during the first five years after undergraduate education and specifically assess changes over time."

Conclusion: "There was a clear trend of increasing research use by nurses during their first five years of practice. The level of the initial ratings also indicated the level of research use in subsequent years. However, it took more than two years of professional development before this increase 'kicked in.' These findings support previous research claiming that newly graduated nurses go through a 'transition shock,' reducing their ability to use research findings in clinical work."
 
The title link takes you to the open source article published online in Implementation Science .

RN's Supply & Demand

NEJM: Perspective
"Registered Nurse Labor Supply and the Recession — Are We in a Bubble?"
by Douglas O. Staiger, Ph.D., David I. Auerbach, Ph.D., and Peter I. Buerhaus, Ph.D., R.N.
March 21, 2012.
NEJM article provides an economic explanation of the "countercyclical nature of the health care industry", based on a workforce study model analysis of trends in RN labour force supply and demand.

Ontario Hospital Association Produces Guide for IEN's

The OHA  has lauched a guide for Ontario healthcare organizations aimed at streamlining the integration of foreign trained nurses. The "INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED NURSES: An Employer's Guide" addresses the challenges of workforce integration and provides a practical guide intended to assist employers of IENs.

"Given the aging nursing workforce, effective management of IEN recruitment, retention and integration is a priority."

The coverage on the site includes:
• Why you should hire IENs and what they bring to the workplace.
• How you can create a harmonious workforce that optimizes skills and knowledge.
• Case studies of organizational successes and leading practices.
• Links to useful resources and references, including interviews with healthcare organizations.

The NHS Future Forum Report

In the on-going effort to improve the quality of patient care in the UK, the latest instalment of the "NHS ~ Future Forum Report", released January 10,2012, calls on health care professionals to lead the way in patient-centered care. With regard to nursing and midwifery education the report states concern over inconsistencies in the training of nurses. The report touches on the academic nursing degree requirement, the reliance on 'virtual' training experiences due to lack of community placements, and the decline in numbers seeking post-graduate training in nursing specialist areas. Click here to read the full report.

New Research Calls for Optimism in Reducing the Shortage of Nurses

Health economists at RAND Health in Boston have been tracking the statistics on the nursing workforce in the United States for 35 years. While previous studies had all pointed to a looming severe shortage of nurses, these latest findings call for optimism!
The study published in the latest isssue of 'Health Affairs' appears to have surprised even the researchers themselves. The swing has evidently resulted from a number of factors that have thankfully drawn more young adults to the profession.

"...the number of people 23 to 26 years of age entering nursing increased by 62% from 2002 to 2009."

Click on the post title for the RAND press release, or the 'Health Affairs' link to purchase the full text report. This story is also discussed in Medscape: "Record Numbers Entering Nursing, But Gaps Remain" by Troy Brown [ Medscape Medical News Today, December 5, 2011 ]

"Good Morning, my name is Elizabeth, and how are we feeling today?"

Technology Review published by MIT brings us research news by Emily Singer [1/11/2011].

Take a look at what MIT and Northeastern University have been up to. They have created Elizabeth ~ a personable, caring and sympathetic virtual nurse! Click on the post title to read, listen or watch the full story.

But what can real nurses learn from this experiment you may ask? That their jobs are in jeopardy? No ~ but take note of these observations...

"patients who interacted with a virtual nurse named Elizabeth said they preferred the computer simulation to an actual doctor or nurse because they didn't feel rushed or talked down to."

"Patients more accurately reported their health information when interacting with the virtual character than they were when filling out a standard electronic questionnaire."

Researchers explain ~ Such technologies will become increasingly important with rising health-care costs and an aging population.

"We already know we don't have enough health-care providers to go around, and it's only getting worse,"..."About 60 percent of the cost of delivering health care comes from human resources, so even if you can train more people, it's not an ideal way to improve costs."

The Nursing License Map

"The Nursing License Map is a comprehensive resource for nursing licensure information. It provides state-specific information on how to become a nurse, nurse salaries, nursing credentials, nurse certification tests, and nursing compact agreements. Our aim is to provide all the information necessary to become a nurse no matter where you live."
The quick state-by-state overview of nursing salaries is great too!
by Nursing@Georgetown.

Nursing Reference Center Mobile App.'s

Convenient mobile application versions for EBSCO's Nursing Reference Center (NRC) are now available via the iTunes App.'s Store.

Challenging Times for the UK Nursing Labour Force

The Royal College of Nursing in the United Kingdom has published a preliminary report outlining eight 'what if' scenarios and projecting their possible impact on the nursing labour force in the UK over the next decade.

"This [report] looks at the challenges facing nursing and the nursing workforce across the UK in 2011 which we believe are the greatest for a generation....this report highlights what the truly shocking scale of losses could be in the near future – in the worst case – a 28 per cent reduction in the nursing workforce [100,000 positions]. This would undoubtedly be hugely damaging to the quality of patient care....As an immediate first step, we [RCN] advocate that the supply of registered nurses should be stabilised and the decision to cut nursing student places by 10 per cent for 2010/11 to 2011/12 reversed."

This interim report is taken from the forthcoming Royal College of Nursing Labour Market Review (LMR) 2011.

Global Nursing in Action: An Inspiring Alumni Story

Alex, your story really highlights the opportunities that are out there for those who are moved to answer the call to be a nurse. Here at IUON on St. Kitts we enjoyed having you in our student body! Now your story will serve to inspire many others to pursue their dream and perserver with their goals, to serve the global community as dedicated nurses. Way to go Alex! Here is an excerpt from Alex's story posted on IUON's offical website:

"During times of emergency Alex grew to appreciate how valuable someone with health care knowledge is because people depend on you, '…not just for patching up their wounds, but to be there for re-assurance during crisis. Just letting them know that someone is there…and that someone wants to help. It’s a complicated task because it’s possibly the worst day they’ve ever experienced and you’re the one that’s there to work together to make them as well as they can be again. I felt a great pride in this and I felt the calling.' ”

Alex Champagne is an International University of Nursing (IUON) student who is completing his senior year at one of IUON’s partner schools in Kentucky, Morehead State University (MSU).
As a trained nurse the world is truely your oyster!

UPDATE: Read more about Alex's story in the Huron Daily Tribune, July 14, 2011.

NLN 2010 Statistics on Nursing Education

The National League for Nursing has released their latest research statistics on the state of nursing education in the United States.

"New findings gleaned from the National League for Nursing's annual survey, administered from October to December 2010, paint a complex picture of nursing education in the United States."

"NLN Annual Survey of Schools of Nursing 2009-2010" includes findings such as: an increase in student diversity, acceptance to programs remains very competitive, continued lack of clinical placements available, and continued shortage of faculty.

Visit NLN DataView™ for a comprehensive set of tables and figures, or read the NLN Annual Survey Executive Summary.

The Communication Solution for the Nursing Industry

The Nurses Lounge is an online profesional network for nurses which provides a secure place to connect with colleagues, network on a professional level, and stay on top of relevant news, events and other information.
Nursing Schools can benfit by setting up their own "Lounge" which provides them a professional platform to easily distribute news and information, build and manage an alumni organization, as well as network among their students, faculty and alumni. There is no cost to a nurse, nursing school or nursing related association to use or set up an interactive Nurses Lounge.
Click to learn more about the Nurses Lounge.