Inquiry is Key

Karen Gabel Speroni

PhD, MHSA, BSN, RN

Magnet^®, Pathway to Excellence^®

Dr. Karen Gabel Speroni helps hospitals and hospital systems through all phases of their nursing excellence journey, including Magnet^®.

Dr. Karen Gabel Speroni helps hospitals and hospital systems through all phases of their nursing excellence journey, including Magnet®.

She is a research infrastructure and process expert who uniquely integrates organizational missions with research goals to facilitate evidence-informed practice of nursing, ultimately to advance the practice of nursing, including patient outcomes and work environment.

She has over 30 years of experience in biomedical research and hospital consultation, including hospital-based research, nursing excellence and evidence-based practice, as well serving on Institutional Review Boards, and university teaching.

Currently, Dr. Speroni:

Serves as a consultant and educator with the American Nurses Association, for hospitals on their Magnet® and Pathway to Excellence® journey; Certificate Holder, Fundamentals of Magnet;
Is adjunct faculty at Johns Hopkins School of nursing, serving as a Principal Investigator in multi-center, international research;
Provides inquiry methods and research consultation to develop and sustain research programs for Magnet recognition for multiple health care systems and hospital, including Johns Hopkins;
Presents research processes and research findings nationally and internationally, and
Authors research / healthcare related publications.

Summary of Services

Conducts organizational assessments.
Reviews application documents for Magnet.
Reviews ANCC requests for supplemental information and assists with responses.
Prepares organizations for successful ANCC site visits working with hospital groups, shared governance councils, and clinical nurses.
Assists with strategic planning for nursing excellence.
Mentors and works with teams to successfully achieve strategic outcomes.
Helps organizations develop effective shared leadership and decision-making structures, processes and outcomes, shared governance models and professional practice models.
Research process expert.
Utilizes iQuERY (Innovation, QUality improvement, Evidence-based practice, Research & You) to facilitate inquiry method best practices, a model which she innovated.

Education

PhD, Business Administration-Health Care Management, Eastern University
MHSA, Policy, Planning and Marketing, The George Washington University
BSN, Research College of Nursing-Rockhurst University

Certifications

American Nurses Credentialing Center–Certificate Holder in Fundamentals of Magnet^®

Professional Memberships

American Nurses Association
Sigma Theta Tau International
Virginia Nurses Association

Selected Recent Publications

1) Speroni, K.G., Antol, S., Lisle, L., Aroom, W. (2023). Differences by Nurse Type in Professional Quality of Life Perceptions from Pre-COVID-19 to Intra-COVID-19. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 28, No. 3. DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol28No03PPT75

2) Speroni, K.G. Remote Work in Nursing: Facilitators and Barriers. (2023). OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 28, No. 2, Manuscript 1, DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol28No02Man01

3) Speroni, K.G. Letter to the Editor by Karen G. Speroni to OJIN topic: Professional Pathways in Nursing: Options to Seek, Start, and Sustain a Career. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. March 20, 2023. Retrieved from: Letter to the Editor by Karen G. Speroni to OJIN topic: “Professional Pathways in Nursing: Options to Seek, Start, and Sustain a Career” | OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (nursingworld.org)

4) Speroni, K.G., Budhathoki, C, Walters, C., Dutton, S., Mackay, P., Oguariri, R.M. (2022). Survey Research: Do all RN types have the same perceptions regarding professional nursing governance? Journal of Nursing Administration, 52(5) 258-265. 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001014

5) May, V, Knitting, J, Speroni, KG, Adil, M. Utilization of Emergent MRI in the Diagnosis of Acute Ischemic Stroke. (2022). Journal of Radiology Nursing.1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2022.02.012

6) Hess, R., & Speroni, K.G. (2021). Onboarding best practices for professional nursing governance. Voice of Nursing Leadership, November: 4-6.

7) Speroni, K.G., & Hess, R. (2021). Pandemics challenges. Keeping nursing research alive. Journal of Nursing Administration, 51(7/8): 364-365.

8) Speroni, K.G., Wisner, K., Ober, M., Haines, F., Walters, C., & Budhathoki, C. (2021). Effect of Shared Governance on Nurse Sensitive Indicator and Satisfaction Outcomes by Magnet Recognition Status. Journal of Nursing Administration, 51 (7/8): 379-388. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001033

9) Speroni, K.G., Wisner, K., Stafford, A., Haines, F., AL-Ruzzieh, M.A., Walters, C., & Budhathoki, C. (2021). Effect of Shared Governance on Nurse Sensitive Indicator and Satisfaction Outcomes: An International Comparison. Journal of Nursing Administration, 51(5): 287-296. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001014

10) Lindauer, C., Speroni, K.G., Godinez, K., Lurz, T., Oakley, R., & Zakes, A. (2021). Effect of A Nurse-Led, Patient-Centered, Gratitude Intervention on Patient Hospitalization Experience. Journal of Nursing Administration. 51(4): 192-199. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33734178/

11) Cusanza, S., Speroni, K., Curran, C., & Azizi, D. (2020). Effect of Individualized Learning Plans on Nurse Learning Outcomes and Risk Mitigation. Journal of Healthcare Risk Management. 40(4): 17-29. DOI: 10.1002/jhrm.21442

12) Hess, B., Weaver, S., & Speroni, K.G. (2020). Shared Governance During A Pandemic. Nurse Leader. doi: 10.1016/j.mnl.2020.05.008

13) Lisle, L., Speroni, K.G., Aroom, W., Crouch, L., & Honigsberg, H. (2020). Differences in Compassion Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue and Work Environment Factors by Hospital Registered Nurse Types. Online Journal for Issues in Nursing; 25(3). DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol25No03PPT44

14) Speroni, K.G. (2020). Call to Action for a US Nurse General: From Ebola to Corona. Journal of Nursing Administration, 50(5): E1-E2.

15) Speroni, K.G., McLaughlin, M., Friesen, M.A. (2020). Use of Evidence-based Practice Models and Research Findings in Magnet®-Designated Hospitals Across the United States: National Survey Results. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing; 17(2): 98-10.

16) Baker, A., Speroni, K.G., Ruby, D., & Honigsberg, H. (2020). Health Care Professionals' Perceptions of Life-Sustaining Treatment Orders. Nursing2020; 50(2): 64-69.

For a listing of publications, click here

Registered nurses working in Magnet® organizations are required to advance the body of knowledge of nursing science through nursing research, translation of evidence-based findings into practice, and dissemination of nursing research findings. All too often institutional barriers limit the ability of nurses to move their best-practice question forward from study idea inception to dissemination of research findings. Understanding needed structures and processes to overcome the barriers is a key step to support ideas through dissemination. Needed also is a spirit of inquiry within the organization that empowers nurses to strive for an evidence-informed practice.

In his TEDMED talk, "Exploring the Arc of Innovation," Thomas Goetz addressed the importance of having a rule base and a process. He noted that science is first about the rules and processes that we use to explore ideas, and then it is about the rules and the processes that we use to disseminate those ideas. This applicability of a process to explore ideas and to disseminate those ideas is equally important in nursing.

A helpful tip to build the spirit of inquiry and to move research forward in your organization is to hold a best-practice question contest. Be sure to document what you’ve done. For example:

Track the top five ideas generated by nurses on the nursing research council agenda. These ideas can be listed on the monthly nursing research council agenda as "Studies Under Consideration."

Facilitate literature review for each of the ideas until it is determined that research is warranted. If so, develop the research study protocol and supporting study documents. Then, once submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB), track the study on the research council agenda under "Ongoing Studies". Be sure to include a timeline for each step of the process from IRB submission through dissemination of findings.

Support the team of nurses conducting the research by evaluating monthly what resources are needed to meet the study timeline.

Once the study is completed, track outcomes on a research outcomes tracking table, similar to the table required in the 2014 Magnet® Application Manual (Chapter 4, Organizational Overview section, number 20). Add additional columns on the table to track these outcomes for each study

Nursing or hospital policy/procedure in place prior to initiating research;
Change to policy/procedure as a result of the research;
Change to nursing practice or work environment; and
Dissemination of findings: MAP it out with manuscripts, abstracts/posters and podium presentations.
- Be sure to include a full listing of each finding (e.g., full citation for manuscripts; for abstracts/poster and podium presentations, cite authors, title, conference, date presented, and location presented).

Consultation is available to support the development of your research infrastructure. Please contact us if you need assistance.

Happy researching!

This article was originally published in June 2015.

*Use of ANA Consultation Services does not guarantee you will achieve an ANCC credential. ANA consultants and staff cannot influence the actions of ANCC program staff nor decisions of the Commission on Magnet® Recognition, Commission on Pathway to Excellence®, or Commission on Accreditation in Practice Transition Programs and the Commission for Nursing Continuing Professional Development..