Nurse Executives Research Articles

Should There be Laws Mandating Nurse Practitioner/Patient Ratios?

Should There be Laws Mandating Nurse Practitioner/Patient Ratios?

Examining the Educational Experiences and Outcomes of the American Organization of Nurse Executives Nurse Manager Fellowship Program: A Multiclass Study.

Examining the Educational Experiences and Outcomes of the American Organization of Nurse Executives Nurse Manager Fellowship Program: A Multiclass Study.

Preparing for the Big One: Emergency Preparedness for Nursing Leaders.

Nurse executives are responsible for ensuring that their health care facilities are prepared to continue to operate and provide essential patient care during and after emergencies. This article provides information for nursing leaders on emergency management principles including threat assessments, plans, and preparedness activities while focusing on a seismic event.

Organizational Perspectives of Nurse Executives in 15 Hospitals on the Impact and Effectiveness of Rapid Response Teams

Many hospitals use rapid response teams (RRTs) to respond to deteriorating patients, but it remains unclear what organizations actually monitor. Understanding what organizations value in an RRT may help clarify measurement choices. Interviews were conducted to determine how organizational leaders perceived and evaluated their hospitals' RRTs. The study used a descriptive, qualitative design. Participants were nurse executives and key informants in 300- to 500-bed hospitals in the south-central United States and were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Sample size was determined by data saturation. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Interview data were analyzed using the techniques of conventional content analysis and constant comparison and descriptive statistics for demographics. From November 2014 through April 2015, 27 participants were interviewed from 15 hospitals. Global themes emerged: value of and monitoring the RRT. All participants valued positive patient outcomes from use of the RRT, such as decreased code rates and transfers to the ICU. They also valued positive influences of the RRT on the health care team such as education, relationships, and promotion of a culture of safety, including providing consistency of care and evidence-based care. Formal and informal RRT evaluations were usually conducted, resulting in subsequent actions. Participants emphasized the impact of the RRT on professional staff relationships and the organizational culture, suggesting that the actual value of the RRT stretches beyond patient outcomes. Evaluations of the RRTs were largely informal. Hospitals placed high value on health care team and organizational outcomes but generally did not capture data to support them.

The AONE Nurse Executive Competencies: 12 Years Later

In 2005, the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) released the AONE Nurse Executive Competencies (AONE-NEC). 1 A copyrighted brain trust of the organization, the competencies were released after several years of development and AONE board work to determine the relevance to nurse executive practice. In the past 12 years, the competencies have been and are being utilized in hospitals, health systems, and academic institutions in the United States and globally. The AONE has positioned itself as the organization with expertise to provide the industry and nurse leaders themselves with tools necessary to excel in nurse executive practice and education. In this paper, evolution of the AONE-NEC and examples of how they are being used to guide both nurse executive practice and academics are presented.

Generational Differences and Professional Membership

The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) is celebrating 50 years of providing leadership, professional development, advocacy, and research to advance nursing practice and patient care, promoting nursing leadership excellence and shaping public policy for health care nationwide. Fifty years of success comes from dedication, commitment, and hard work, as well as open-mindedness and adaptability. Organizations, especially professional associations, that fail to evolve inevitably lose momentum and at some point could face failure. In fact, only 12.2% of the Fortune 500 companies in 1955 were still on that list in 2014, and almost 88% of the companies have either gone bankrupt, merged, or have fallen from the top Fortune 500 companies. 1

Impact of the American Organization of Nurse Executives' Development Programs

Developing future leaders is a key priority and measured success factor for the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE). AONE has a strong history of investing in talented individuals who are believed to hold potential, have had early career success, and are known to collaboratively lead through the ever-shifting landscape of health care. AONE aims to remain relevant and informative to its members, regardless their tenure in nursing or level of experience in leadership. In the past 10 years of AONE's half century, an added focus on emerging and novice leaders has gained prominence. This adds to a tradition that focus on experienced leaders who have looked to AONE to fine tune skills or learn to use new leader tools as their environment evolves. The AONE Foundation programs—Emerging Nurse Leader Institute, Nurse Manager Fellowship, Nurse Director Fellowship, and the AONE Annual Meeting—allow AONE opportunity to influence the development of nurse leaders across a career continuum and to ensure that the next generation of talented leaders are versed in leadership competencies, resilient and prepared to lead as authentic individuals (Table 1). This paper highlights the successes of several individuals, including one of the coauthors, who have advanced their careers grounded in development gained through the AONE programs.

The American Organization of Nurse Executives and Global Citizenship

Globalization is impacting many aspects of American society, and nursing has especially been impacted over the past few decades. Global issues such as nurse migration, pandemic infections, natural disasters, man-made disasters, and geopolitical unrest have made it clear that no nation can remain isolated and unaffected by world events and trends. With these facts, the American Organization of Nurse Executives' (AONE) leaders and members increasingly understand that leaders along with their communities and health care organizations work in all arenas, from local to national and international.

Scholarship and Relevance: How to Write for Nurse Executives and Nurse Leadership

Frequently, journal editors and editorial board members are asked by potential authors whether their idea for an article or manuscript activities would work well with the journal in question. A simple answer is not easy to access because there is a range of variables influencing where a particular idea or manuscript should be directed. A number of factors influence the direction a potential manuscript might take. When considering writing for a journal directed toward nurse executive/leaders, there are 5 factors authors should keep in mind as they consider preparing a manuscript. These considerations are the particular audience to which the journal is directed; the related topical focus of the journal; the style, writing characteristics, linguistics, and readability framework of the journal; the balance between scholarship, translation, and application promulgated by the journal; and the general timeliness and appropriateness of the issues of interest to the journal's readers. 1 Easterby-Smith M Lyles MA Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management. Wiley, Chichester, UK2011 Google Scholar Frequently, journal editors and editorial board members are asked by potential authors whether their idea for an article or manuscript activities would work well with the journal in question. A simple answer is not easy to access because there is a range of variables influencing where a particular idea or manuscript should be directed. A number of factors influence the direction a potential manuscript might take. When considering writing for a journal directed toward nurse executive/leaders, there are 5 factors authors should keep in mind as they consider preparing a manuscript. These considerations are the particular audience to which the journal is directed; the related topical focus of the journal; the style, writing characteristics, linguistics, and readability framework of the journal; the balance between scholarship, translation, and application promulgated by the journal; and the general timeliness and appropriateness of the issues of interest to the journal's readers. 1 Easterby-Smith M Lyles MA Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management. Wiley, Chichester, UK2011 Google Scholar

The American Organization of Nurse Executives 2067: Where Will We Be?

If the tradition of nursing leadership continues in my family, it's possible that my great-grandson could write a paper about the American Organization of Nurse Executive's (AONE's) 100th anniversary. Most nurse leaders who will celebrate AONE's 100th anniversary have not yet been born. That one point puts the future into perspective and is a great way for today's leaders to think about the future building that leaders of today are obligated to accomplish!

Leaders of the American Organization of Nurse Executives: The First 50 Years

The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) has a strong history of outstanding leadership across elected officers and the executive directors (now chief executive officers [CEOs]). During the first 50 years, each president brought unique skills and talents that served to lead the organization across its formative years up to the strong presence and reputation that the organization enjoys today. The cumulative story over the decades is remarkable. Each leader's individual contributions are worth noting as the AONE celebrates its 50-year journey to become the voice of nursing leadership. What follows is a short summary of the robust effort, time, and dedication demonstrated by those in the AONE's most senior positions.

Capturing Change: Creating a Template to Examine the Educational Experiences and Outcomes of the AONE Foundation Nurse Manager Fellowship.

The aim of the study is to create a mixed-methods evaluation template to examine the educational experiences and outcomes of participants in the Nurse Manager Fellowship (NMF) sponsored by the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) Foundation. The focus was to capture change as reported by the nurse manager (NM) fellows and the senior leaders who sponsored them and to gain access to the participants' lived experiences as leadership learners. The AONE Foundation's NMF conducts a yearlong professional development program with a cohort of 30 fellows who meet 4 times a year in face-to-face sessions and complete a capstone project. Four data collection methods were used. Participants completed 2 quantitative leadership program outcome surveys, as well as 1 qualitative measure to focus on self-perceived change outcomes. Their sponsors completed a qualitative perception of change measure. The participants' reflections, self-reports, and the sponsor observations capture impactful changes in the NM fellows' increases in knowledge and application in the spheres of self, organization, and community. The enhancement of the participants' self-identification as leaders was also demonstrated. The variety of data collection methods suggests both distinct choices in creating future evaluation templates for the fellowship and approaches that might be adapted by other organizations.

Partnering to Improve Outcomes: The Nurse Executive and the Clinical Nurse Specialist

The chief nurse executive (CNE), chief nursing officer (CNO), and nurse leaders are accountable for high quality, reliable, interprofessional health care. The responsibility to achieve superlative outcomes and fiscal performance is enormous. Nurse leaders must apply advanced leadership skills to promote, facilitate, and ensure evidence-based practice (EBP) drives patient and population outcomes. 1 The perspectives of CNEs and CNOs on EBP implementation and prioritization were examined in a descriptive study by Melnyk and colleagues. 2 They reported significant gaps in the CNE/CNO prioritization of EBP compared to top of quality and patient safety as well as limited allocation of resources to establish and imbed EBP. Quality and safety cannot be priorities without EBP.

The Academic Progression in Nursing Initiative: The Final Year Outcomes.

In 2012, the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), representing the Tri-Council of Nursing, namely, AONE, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the American Nurses Association, and the National League for Nursing, was selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as the national program office for the Academic Progression in Nursing (APIN) initiative. This article discusses the impact APIN has had in the 9 states that received APIN grants, essential elements for successful APIN projects, and highlights of the last year of the grant in moving closer to the 80/20 goal from the Institute of Medicine.

The Evolution of the New Provider Team: Driving Cultural Change Through Data.

Nursing executives are continually challenged to address a rapidly evolving health care system. Every aspect of care delivery is being scrutinized, yet the constant requirement remains assurance of high-quality, highly reliable care that is cost-effective and easily accessible. The nursing workforce remains visible in traditional roles as well as in new and innovative capacities, whereas nurse executives experience expanded realms of focus and responsibility. As health systems continue to adapt to the changing environment, the ability to leverage the role and scope of the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) as a health care provider is emerging as an essential business and care strategy. While the APRN role is more commonly accepted in primary care, ambiguity persists in how to best use the role along the continuum of care to achieve the cost-effective solutions required in today's health care environment. Successful health care systems of today and tomorrow are those that act boldly in a strategic direction. Data-driven decision making is key to meaningful change, whether clinical or operational. The need to develop high-functioning, integrated provider teams is apparent and immediate. Nurse executives and their nursing leadership colleagues must lead with evidence in hand to create infrastructures that support true integration, optimization, and engagement of all members of the provider team to better serve our patients and communities.

The Role of the Nurse Executive in Rural Hospital Closure.

Between 2010 and June 2016, 75 rural hospitals closed, and more than 250 more are at risk of closure. Nurse executives need to be prepared for this eventuality. There is a need for formal direction on how to close a highly regulated healthcare facility.

Maintain optimal staffing with position control

Often indicated as a top priority, managing labor costs is vital to sustaining an organization's financial health.1 The American Organization of Nurse Executives identifies business skills, specifically financial management, as an essential nurse leader competency.2 We're required to maintai

Statewide Study to Assess Nurses' Experiences With Meaningful Use-Based Electronic Health Records.

Nursing professionals are at the frontline of the health information technology revolution. The Texas Nurses Association and Texas Organization of Nurse Executives partnered to evaluate the changing health technology environment in Texas, in particular the nurses' satisfaction with the use of clinical information systems. A descriptive exploratory study using the Clinical Information System Implementation Evaluation Scale and a newly developed Demographic Survey and the Meaningful Use Maturity-Sensitive Index, with a narrative component, was conducted in 2014 and 2015. Nurses across Texas received an electronic invitation to participate in the survey, resulting in 1177 respondents. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that variables of the Meaningful Use Maturity-Sensitive Index and Clinical Information System Implementation Evaluation Scale show strong interrater reliability, with Cronbach's α scores of .889 and .881, respectively, and thereby inform the survey analysis, indicating and explaining variations in regional and institutional trends with respect to satisfaction. For example, the maturity of a clinical information system within an organization and age of the nurse significantly influence the probability of nurse satisfaction (P < .05). Qualitative analysis of nurses' narratives further explained the nurses' experiences. Recommendations for future research and educational were identified.

Leading DNP Professionals: Practice Competencies for Organizational Excellence and Advancement.

The doctorate in nursing practice (DNP) role is quickly emerging across the United States in numerous practice settings, especially in hospitals, outpatient services, and academic institutions. There is now a need for guidelines to evaluate the enactment of the standards used to create DNP education and practice, competencies expected in practice, and the outcomes and value created by this role. This article presents a DNP Performance Demonstration and Impact template created on the basis of the AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing), NONPF (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties), and AONE (American Organization of Nurse Executives) standards to assist leaders in evaluating DNP performance from a standards-driven perspective.

The 2017 Environmental Scan

The 2017 Environmental Scan