Dorchester General Hospital Registered Nurses' Certification
Submitted to: Dorchester General Hospital Foundation
Date:
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2012Mandy Bounds RN, BSN, CCRN
Critical Care Unit Clinical Coordinator and Project Coordinator Dorchester General Hospital
Shore Health System
University of Maryland Medical System 300 Byrn Street
Cambridge, MD 21613 410-228-5511 ext 2158
Supported by:
Christopher Parker, RN, MSN, NEA-BC, CHCQM, FAIHQ
Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and ChiefNursing Officer Shore Health System
Ruth Ann Jones, RN, MSN, EdD, NEA-BC Director of Acute Care Services
May,2012 Ida Jane Baker
Dorchester General Hospital Foundation 300 Byrn Street
Cambridge, Maryland 21613
Dear Mrs. Baker;
This grant proposal presents a funding request for a certification program at Dorchester General Hospital (DGH). The request entails funding to meet financial obligations to accrediting bodies for specialty certification review and specialty certification exams for non-certified core staff RNs employed at DGH. Shore Health System is a Magnet recognized healthcare system through the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has as an annual goal through the nursing
department to increase RN specialty certification by 5 per year over the next three to five years. The goal of this proposal is to have an 80% certification rate for all core RNs at DGH by January I, 2017. Secondary objectives are to increase quality patient care, patient safety, nurse
satisfaction, and nurse retention. Finances are the most frequently reported barrier to nurses obtaining specialty certification. This proposal seeks to eliminate this barrier for the dedicated nurses at Dorchester General Hospital by requesting funding in the amount of $26,700.00 over the next 5 years.
Executive Summary
The purpose of this proposal is to request funding for all core staff nurses working at Dorchester General Hospital (DGH) to support a nursing certification program at Dorchester General Hospital. The program will provide the opportunity for the nurses to be offered certification review materials and education for preparation for the specialty certification exam, as well as the registration fee for sitting for the specialty certification exam. The program has the potential to increase quality patient care at DGH, improve patient safety, improve nurse
satisfaction and empowerment, and improve nurse turnover, vacancy and retention at DGH.
Introduction and Aims
A total of 119 registered nurses are employed at Dorchester General Hospital. Certification in a nursing specialty area is a valuable asset to the patients, the nurses, Dorchester General
Hospital and Shore Health System. The goal of this proposal is to have an 80% certification rate for all core RNs at DGH by January I, 2017. Secondary objectives are to increase quality patient care, patient safety, nurse satisfaction, and nurse retention. The 5 year time frame gives RNs adequate time to prepare for the exam and then to successfully sit for the exam.
Outcome measures that will be tracked include:
l. Improvement in the National Database ofNursing Quality Indicators® RN satisfaction scores, specifically professional status to be at or above the NDNQI mean by 2017 in each department.
2. The Critical Care Unit will maintain 0% in the following measures: Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (V AP); Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI); and Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CA-UTI).
3. ED blood contamination rate less than 3%.
4. Vacancy rate on each unit/department at DGH at 4% or less by 2017.
5. Percentage ofRNs certified in each department at DGH by 2017 at 80% or greater.
An annual report will be sent to the Foundation outlining the budget and progress toward the stated outcomes.
Background, Significance, and Review of the Literature
According to the American Association of Critical Care Nurses organization, "certification is a process by which a nongovernmental agency validates, based upon predetermined standards, an individual nurse's qualification and knowledge for practice in a defined functional or clinical area of nursing" (AACN, 2011). Certification is a voluntary process ofvalidating knowledge, skills and abilities beyond the scope of RN licensure. Research has shown that certification increases nurse's job satisfaction, empowerment, and level of competence. In addition, specialty
certification is positively associated with nurse's perception of intrinsic value, empowerment, and sense of collaboration with other healthcare members. Nurses are more likely to stay with an organization when they feel empowered or are recognized for their contributions (Hastens, Hnatiuk, & Yoder, 2011; Kendall-Gallagher, Aiken, Sloane, & Cimiotti, 2011;Wade, 2009).
Finances are reported as the primary barrier to nursing specialty certification (Hastens, Hnatiuk, & Yoder, 2011). A nursing review course and exam easily costs a registered nurse upwards of $500-$600 for initial fees. Financial assistance would greatly assist the dedicated nurses at Dorchester General Hospital to achieve nursing specialty certification.
Strategic Initiatives
The certification program proposal aligns with Shore Health System (SHS) Nursing strategic principle, vision, and mission statement and also aligns with the Magnet model. SHS strategic principle is "professional nurses at SHS means exceptional nurses providing exceptional care every day: (www.shorehealth.org). SHS vision statement is "as a Magnet designated
organization, nursing embraces our responsibility to continually transform clinical and
professional practice through the acquisition, discovery, and dissemination of new knowledge, innovation and improvements." SHS mission is "to excel in quality care and patient satisfaction." Lastly, as a Magnet designated health system, SHS refers to the five components of the model as a guide for delivering quality patient care. The five components of the Magnet model include structural empowerment; exemplary professional practice; new knowledge, innovations, and improvements; transformational leadership; and empirical outcomes.
Summary
The grant proposal for the certification program seeks to embrace RN professional practice through certification, improve quality patient care at the bedside by uplifting nursing excellence, and improve retention rates as well as RN satisfaction at DGH. The Magnet model of exemplary
References
AACN. (2011). General infonnation regarding certification. Retrieved November 29, 2011, from http://www.aacn.org/wd/certifications/content/generalinfo.pcms?menu=certification&last menu=
Haskins, M., Hnatiuk, C., & Yoder, L. (20 II). Medical surgical nurse perceived value of certification study. MedSurg Nursing, 20(2), 71-93.
Kendall-Gallagher, D., Aiken, C., Sloane, D.m., Cimiotti, J. (2011). Nurse specialty certification,
Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 43 (2), 188-194.
Shore Health System. (2011).Retrieved December 9, 2011, from www.shorehealth.org Wade, C. (2009). Perceived effects of specialty nurse certification: A review of the literature.
AORN, 89(1), 183-192.
