Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Research Articles

Transitioning back to faculty roles after being a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar: Challenges and opportunities.

There is a dearth of literature describing factors supporting a successful transition from a career-development fellowship to resumption of the full complement of faculty roles. Because little is known about the transition back to the full faculty role, a subset of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Nurse Faculty Scholars (NFS) was interviewed to evaluate the self-identified challenges and opportunities that the scholars faced and factors contributing to their success when they reassumed the full faculty role. A subset of scholars from cohorts beginning the RWJF NFS program between 2008 and 2012 (n=10) was interviewed by members of the NFS National Advisory Committee. NFSs identified challenges and opportunities faced as they transitioned to their faculty roles following completion of the career development fellowship as well as the character of support received from individuals in their organizational influencing the experience of the faculty transition. Evaluation outcomes include recommendations for transition planning for home institutions, colleagues and fellows. NFSs identified transition challenges including managing multiple responsibilities and increased teaching demands coupled with loss of protected time and funding for scholarly work. Opportunities for career advancement were influenced by effective mentorship, institutional supports including advocacy and allocation of time and responsibilities consistent with continued research productivity. Issues contributing to a more difficult transition included non-supportive relationships among administrators and colleagues and newly assigned responsibilities that detracted from success in meeting expectations for tenure and promotion. Effective transition from fellow to faculty included plans for continued mentorship and stakeholder engagement of administration, mentors and faculty colleagues. Effective transition from fellow to the full complement of the faculty role benefits both the home institution and scholar. Positive outcomes may be contingent on scholar support and organizational investment during the transition period.

The Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholars Diversity and Inclusion Research.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to deepen the understanding of DEI training and show how scholars across the nation incorporated DEI leadership into academic roles. Faculty and administrators' experiential experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plays a role in the success or failure of DEI training. DEI training at institutes of higher learning should include metrics that examine our bias for invisible and overt support for DEI.Methods: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars (RWJFNFS) were surveyed by The Gauda Group at Grayling. Data were collected from a diverse group of scholars across the nation. An online survey followed by an in-depth phone interview was used to assess participants' roles as leaders in academic nursing, challenges faced by scholars in addressing DEI, and perceived values of undertaking DEI activities.Results: Major themes emerged from the findings. The themes included championing for DEI comes with a personal and professional risk. Greater success was noted when DEI was supported by leadership and included in institutional strategic planning.Conclusion: DEI is important and necessitates commitment from all levels of leadership, faculty, and strategic planning initiatives. DEI training fills an important role and subsidizes leadership effectiveness as it relates to DEI.

Advancing Nursing Science Through Community Advisory Boards: Working Effectively Across Diverse Communities.

The movement toward community-engaged research is well aligned with nursing's strong tradition of engaging individuals, families, and communities in designing and evaluating nursing care. As such, nurse scientists should consider engaging the recipients of care in the research process. Community advisory boards are a common way in which communities are engaged in research. The purpose of this article is to provide a framework for effectively working with community advisory boards in diverse communities that is informed by evidence and experiences of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars. Recommendations can serve as a blueprint for nurse scientists as they engage communities in research promoting health equity.

The impact of the Nurse Faculty Scholars program on schools of nursing

BackgroundThe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program was conceptualized as not only promoting the growth and development of early-career faculty but as enhancing the research infrastructure of scholars’ schools of nursing. PurposeAt the completion of the scholars’ three years of support, deans/directors were asked to provide feedback regarding the institutional impact of the scholars’ participation in the program. MethodsPhone interviews were conducted on the first five completed cohorts and a six-item questionnaire was developed to obtain some quantitative data. DiscussionThe program was viewed as having accelerated the scholars’ leadership and scholarship, and their influence within the school/university and regionally/nationally. Deans/directors generally agreed that the scholars’ experience helped build the school’s research portfolio. ConclusionLooking back on how the participating schools of nursing fared, one can say that the program’s institutional expectations were achieved most of the time. The program helped scholars build their own reputations and that in turn had consequences for the school’s standing as a whole. A number of components are described that can be replicated singly or in various combinations by schools/universities interested in adopting aspects of this program.

Building a mentoring network

BackgroundMentoring has long been regarded as one of the key components of research training and faculty development. PurposeThe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program purposely facilitated scholars’ development of a mentoring network by providing each individual with three mentors: a school-of-nursing mentor (primary), a university-based non-nurse research mentor (research), and a nationally-recognized nurse leader at another university (national). MethodThe Mentorship Effectiveness Scale was used to assess the effectiveness of each type of mentor in the first five completed cohorts. DiscussionThe ratings of mentorship effectiveness for all three kinds of mentors were generally high. Scholars valued most their mentors’ support and advocacy; the biggest weakness in dealing with all mentors was accessibility. ConclusionEven when one mentor proved a poor match, another mentor turned out to be an advocate and helpful, thus reaffirming the benefits of a mentoring network as opposed to only a single mentoring relationship. One lesson learned is the importance of preparing mentors for their role via written materials, in-person or phone orientations, and discussions at the annual meeting.

Diversity: A key aspect of 21st century faculty roles as implemented in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program

BackgroundAcademic nursing faculty play a vital role in recruiting a diverse student body to increase the diversity of the profession and educate students to provide culturally sensitive care to expand equitable health care. PurposeThe purpose of the study is to present the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program diversity initiatives and outcomes. MethodsData on the diversity of the 90 scholars and their diversity-related leadership positions were compiled. DiscussionAlthough the program was designed with selection criteria to encourage racial/ethnic and gender diversity, it was not until a diversity strategic plan was designed and implemented that sufficient diversity in the applicant pool and consistent diversity among the scholars was achieved. The program also included highly evaluated leadership content in diversity and inclusion. ConclusionsLessons learned from the program are important for the assurance of continued diversity among tenure-track nursing faculty, commitment to diversity in the nursing workforce among all faculty, and support in nursing education on providing culturally sensitive nursing care and nursing research that addresses health inequities.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program leadership training

BackgroundThe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program was created to address the nursing shortage via development of the next generation of national leaders in academic nursing. PurposeThe leadership training combined development at the scholar's home institution with in-person didactic and interactive sessions with notable leaders in nursing and other disciplines. MethodsA curriculum matrix, organized by six domains, was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. DiscussionWhat set this program apart is that it immersed junior faculty in concerted leadership development with regard to all aspects of the faculty role so that teaching interactively, making use of the latest in information technology, giving testimony before a policy-making group, participating in strategic planning, and figuring out how to reduce the budget without jeopardizing quality were all envisioned as part of the faculty role. ConclusionThe domains covered by this program could easily be used as the framework to plan other leadership-development programs for the next generation of academic leaders.

Diversity dynamics: The experience of male Robert Wood Johnson Foundation nurse faculty scholars

BackgroundManaging diversity dynamics in academic or clinical settings for men in nursing has unique challenges resulting from their minority status within the profession. PurposeThe purpose of this study was to share challenges and lessons learned identified by male scholars in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program and suggest strategies for creating positive organizations promoting inclusive excellence. MethodsMultiple strategies including informal mentored discussions and peer-to-peer dialogue throughout the program, formal online surveys of scholars and National Advisory Committee members, and review of scholar progress reports were analyzed as part of the comprehensive evaluation plan of the program. DiscussionDiversity dynamic issues include concerns with negative stereotyping, microaggression, gender intelligence, and differences in communication and leadership styles. ConclusionMale nurse faculty scholars report experiencing both opportunities and challenges residing in a predominately female profession. This article attempts to raise awareness and suggest strategies to manage diversity dynamics in service of promoting the development of a culture of health that values diversity and inclusive excellence for both men and women in academic, research, and practice contexts.

Epilogue: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program

Epilogue: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program

Overview of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program: A Commentary

Overview of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program: A Commentary

Overview of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program

BackgroundThe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program was created to address the nursing faculty shortage and thereby decrease the nursing shortage. PurposeThe purpose of the study was to describe the program development, implementation, and ongoing outcome evaluation. MethodsData on scholarly productivity, impact of research, research funding, and leadership positions were compiled, including an h-index (impact of publications) comparison with a comparison group of other interdisciplinary faculty at the same institutions of the 90 current and alumni scholars. DiscussionThere is evidence of the achievements of the individual scholars; however, the effect of the synergy of the multiple components of the program is difficult to capture in traditional evaluation strategies. ConclusionsThe sense of possibility and responsibility (to the profession, to improving the health of all Americans, and to one's school of nursing and university) was a significant outcome of the program. Lessons learned from the program are important for the leadership development and retention of nursing faculty.

Standardizing the Care of Occupational Blood-Borne Pathogen Exposures to Reduce Unnecessary Use of the Emergency Department

Care of health care workers with a blood-borne pathogen (BBP) exposure who seek treatment in emergency departments needs to be standardized. A standardized system may lead to better care for exposed individuals. An interprofessional process was developed to standardize care of occupational BBP exposures in nonemployees. A health planning program design was conducted to compare outcomes before and after the standardized process was enacted. Standardizing treatment of occupational exposures provided more efficient care for exposed nonemployee workers and allowed an improved use of ED resources. Programs developed to improve utilization of the emergency department have a greater chance of success when developed using an interprofessional, collaborative approach.

Initial evaluation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program

BackgroundThe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars (RWJF NFS) program was developed to enhance the career trajectory of young nursing faculty and to train the next generation of nurse scholars. Although there are publications that describe the RWJF NFS, no evaluative reports have been published. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the first three cohorts (n = 42 scholars) of the RWJF NFS program. MethodsA descriptive research design was used. Data were derived from quarterly and annual reports, and a questionnaire (seven open-ended questions) was administered via Survey Monkey Inc. (Palo Alto, CA, USA). ResultsDuring their tenure, scholars had on average six to seven articles published, were teaching/mentoring at the graduate level (93%), and holding leadership positions at their academic institutions (100%). Eleven scholars (26%) achieved fellowship in the American Academy of Nursing, one of the highest nursing honors. The average ratings on a Likert scale of 1 (not at all supportive) to 10 (extremely supportive) of whether or not RWJF had helped scholars achieve their goals in teaching, service, research, and leadership were 7.7, 8.0, 9.4, and 9.5, respectively. The majority of scholars reported a positive, supportive relationship with their primary nursing and research mentors; although, several scholars noted challenges in connecting for meetings or telephone calls with their national nursing mentors. ConclusionsThese initial results of the RWJF NFS program highlight the success of the program in meeting its overall goal—preparing the next generation of nursing academic scholars for leadership in the profession.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars Program for Junior Nurse Faculty: It Takes a Village for a Successful Application

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars Program for Junior Nurse Faculty: It Takes a Village for a Successful Application

Implementation of a Comprehensive Intervention to Reduce Physical Assaults and Threats in the Emergency Department

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of workplace violence (WPV) against ED providers by patients and visitors. An intervention study was conducted with 3 intervention and 3 comparison emergency departments. Participants completed monthly surveys during an 18-month period to measure violent event rates before and after the WPV intervention implementation. Descriptive statistics were used to describe violent events. Analysis of variance was used to assess if the emergency departments participating in the WPV intervention experienced a significant reduction in violence rates compared with nonintervention emergency departments. On average, participants experienced more than 6 incidents of violence during the 18-month study period. Although the study hypothesis was not supported, 2 intervention sites had a significant decrease in violence. This study emphasizes the risk of WPV to ED workers and highlights the need for prevention programs. Future research needs to be conducted to test additional comprehensive WPV prevention interventions.

Initial evaluation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program

Initial evaluation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program

Taking Care of Tootsie

Mindy Owen, RN, CRRN, CCM, a Charter Board member and Past President of CMSA and Past Chair and Commissioner of CCMC. She is the Principal of Phoenix Healthcare Associates LLC, Coral Springs, Florida, specializing in case management education and management. Her career in health care has included critical care neurosurgery and rehabilitation. She helped design and implement an SCI-TBI rehabilitation department at Wesley Regional Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas. She was the 1st Midwest Regional Director of C.M. for Intracorp and has developed and directed both acute and MCO CM/DM programs nationwide. She was a participant in the 2012 NLN Writing Retreat sponsored by the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education and funded by Pocket Nurse. Jennifer Bellot, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor of nursing and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Bellot thoroughly enjoys teaching graduate-level nursing students and continues to practice as a nurse, providing care services to young children with cerebral palsy, pervasive developmental, and neurological delays. Address correspondence to Mindy Owen, RN, CRRN, CCM, Phoenix Healthcare Associates LLC, 4613 Coral Springs, FL 33067 ([email protected]). Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and is provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal's Web site (www.professionalcasemanagementjournal.com). The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Evaluation of a Comprehensive ED Violence Prevention Program

Health care clinicians are at high risk for workplace violence (WPV) from patients and visitors, 1 Gacki-Smith J Juarez AM Boyett L Hoymeyer C Robinson L MacLean SL Violence against nurses working in US emergency departments. J Nurs Adm. 2009; 39: 340-349 Crossref PubMed Scopus (237) Google Scholar , 2 Gates DM Ross CS McQueen L Violence against emergency department workers. J Emerg Med. 2006; 31: 331-337 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (189) Google Scholar , 3 Kowalenko T Walters BL Khare RK Compton S Workplace violence: a survey of emergency physicians in the state of Michigan. Ann Emerg Med. 2005; 46: 142-147 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (202) Google Scholar with 25.5% reporting at least 1 recent incident of victimization. 4 Jenkins EL Fisher BS Hartley D Safe and secure at work? Findings from the 2002 Workplace Risk Supplement. Work. 2012; 42: 57-66 PubMed Google Scholar Researchers found that WPV has negative effects on providers’ stress, ability to provide safe and competent care, job satisfaction, and turnover. 2 Gates DM Ross CS McQueen L Violence against emergency department workers. J Emerg Med. 2006; 31: 331-337 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (189) Google Scholar , 5 Gates DM Gillespie G Succop P Violence against nurses and its impact on stress and productivity. Nurs Econ. 2011; 29: 59-67 PubMed Google Scholar , 6 Gillespie GL Gates DM Miller M Howard PK Violence against healthcare workers in a pediatric emergency department. Adv Emerg Nurs J. 2010; 32: 68-82 Google Scholar In response, several states enacted legislation making assaults against health care workers a felony or requiring employers to implement WPV prevention programs. 7 California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Guidelines for security and safety of health care and community service workers. http://www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH/dosh_publications/hcworker.html Google Scholar , 8 HCA 50 State survey: criminal laws protecting health professionals. http://www.ena.org/IENR/Documents/State%20Survey%20-%20Criminal%20Laws%20-%20Misdemeanor%20and%20Felony.pdf Google Scholar Professional organizations voiced their concerns about the safety of health care workers. The Emergency Nurses Association's 2010 position statement Violence in the Emergency Care Setting states, “Health care organizations have a responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for their employees and the public.” 9 Emergency Nurse Association Position statement: violence in the emergency care setting. http://www.ena.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/Position%20Statements/Violence_in_the_Emergency_Care_Setting_-_ENA_PS.pdf Google Scholar Gordon L. Gillespie, Member, Greater Cincinnati Chapter and Treasurer, Ohio Emergency Nurses Association, is Assistant Professor and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar, College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH. Donna M. Gates is Adjunct Professor, College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH. Tammy Mentzel is Project Director, College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH. Ahlam Al-Natour is Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. Terry Kowalenko is Professor of Emergency Medicine and Medical Education, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars Program: An opportunity for junior nurse faculty

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program provides promising junior faculty extramural funding, expert mentoring, and the training needed to be successful in the academic role. The Nurse Faculty Scholars program, which admitted its first cohort in 2008, is designed to address the nursing faculty shortage by enhancing leadership, educational, and research skills in junior nursing faculty. This article provides an overview of the program, its purpose, and its eligibility requirements. The authors give strategies for selecting mentors, developing the written application, and preparing for an oral interview. Finally, the authors provide an analysis of funded institutions, research design and methods from current and recently funded projects, and rank and positions held by nursing mentors.

The New Nurse Investigator

Veronica P. S. Njie-Carr, PhD, APRN, BC, is a postdoctoral fellow, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland. Nancy E. Glass, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, is an associate professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore. The new investigator is defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as an individual with a doctoral degree who has ‘‘not previously competed successfully for an NIH-supported research project other than small or early stage research awards’’ (NIH, 2009a, Definition of New Investigator Section, para. 1). Other research funding organizations and foundations such as the American Nurses Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation suggest that the new investigator should have completed a research doctorate in the previous 5 years, which often includes nurse researchers at the postdoctoral and junior faculty levels. The purpose of the ‘‘new investigator’’ initiative was to increase the pipeline of scientists by providing access to training, research resources, and opportunities to help this cadre of investigators, including nurse investigators, progress to independent and productive research careers. To support the pipeline, the NIH implemented unique funding mechanisms, such as training (T and F) and career (K) grant awards, and clinical research loan repayment programs to facilitate training and research development. Other research funding agencies target new investigator initiatives to specific disciplines, such as nursing. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program, for instance, contributes to preparing future nurse scientists and leaders by providing junior nursing faculty with opportunities to advance research careers in academia through a number of mentored leadership, academic, and research-focused activities. However, while it is important to prepare new investigators through training and development, it is equally important to retain those trained in research to