RN Initiative 2022 Highlights

The end of the year is a time for reflection and our grantees have given us a lot to think about and even more to celebrate!

Reimagining Nursing Initiative is off and running and the projects are making incredible progress toward key milestones. We complied some of the exciting wins in our 2022 highlight reel. Read about them here and join us in celebrating the vision and progress of the nurse-led project teams who are reimagining nursing!

Nurses Tap Technology to Reimagine the Profession

“At its best, AI enables nurses to apply their knowledge and experience at the highest possible level. It has the potential to transform the way we deliver care.” – Sarah Rossetti, associate professor of bioinformatics and nursing at Columbia

Built using artificial intelligence (AI), CONCERN analyzes notations nurses make in patients’ charts—the content, timing, and frequency—to help care teams recognize when patients are deteriorating faster than vital signs alone can indicate. The team’s goal as part of the Reimagining Nursing Initiative is to create a path for more hospitals to integrate this technology and turn nursing wisdom and expertise into data that saves lives. Read more about CONCERN’s potential to elevate nursing wisdom and fight bias in Columbia’s school of nursing magazine.

Meanwhile, in the University of Minnesota’s nursing school magazine, the Reimagining Nursing Initiative-funded Big 10 Practice-Ready Graduate Initiative has grabbed the coveted cover story. Cindy Bradley and her team are using virtual reality (VR) to better prepare students for real-world experiences.

Bradley explains that “in the virtual environment students will be able to practice and master those skills needed to care for multiple patients. They’ll have more time to practice in a safe space without risking patient safety, while also gaining confidence and competence.” Read the full feature story on the Big 10 Practice-Ready Graduate Initiative.

Reimagining Nursing Makes Waves in Philanthropic Media

Since the launch of the Initiative in May, both Inside Philanthropy and the Chronicle of Philanthropy have recognized the value and dynamism of our Initiative. “Six Things to Know About How a Foundation Involved Nurses in Reimagining Their Profession (paywall)” highlights the nurse-led aspect of our projects and the prescient nature of the pre-pandemic funding for this effort.

“Foundations and Big Donors Step in to Tackle the Nation’s Nursing Shortage” highlights Reimagining Nursing Initiative as one of several efforts to address challenges in nursing, with a special focus on Chamberlain University’s “Practice Ready. Specialty Focused.™ Nurse Education Model.

We will continue to work to bring philanthropic attention to the Initiative and its projects to spur greater investment in nurse-led innovation.

Home Health Partnership Helps Nurses Meet a Growing Demand

One of the most important features of a reimagined nursing profession is nurses’ potential to improve care wherever people are. This includes hospitals, but also includes community centers, schools, and even patients’ homes.

In an important milestone for their RN Initiative project, Practice Ready. Specialty Focused.™ Nurse Education Model, Chamberlain University has partnered with BrightStar Care, a leading nationwide home care and medical staffing franchise, to develop their newest course, “Introduction to Continuing Health.” The course, offered at no additional cost, will expose interested students to home health nursing followed by an opportunity to gain clinical experience in the same specialty to assess whether it is a good career fit for them post-graduation.

“Nurses are vital contributors to the health and well-being of our communities and providing nursing students broader access and exposure to home health and other specialties will strengthen the pipeline of prepared nurses in critical need areas that they enjoy,” said Karen Cox, PhD, RN, FACHE, FAAN, president, Chamberlain University. “Our clinical partnership with BrightStar Care allows us to make a larger impact on home health as the demand continues to grow exponentially.” Read more about this partnership on the Reimagining Nursing blog.

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Thank you for your interest and support of the Reimagining Nursing Initiative in 2022. We look forward to sharing more updates and exciting progress in 2023. Subscribe to our email list to stay updated on the efforts of nurse innovators around the country.