An examination of nursing needs in the Rockford, Illinois area Michelle Bunyer 1, Terese Burch 2, Joel Cowen 1 1 Health Systems Research, UIC College of Medicine 2 Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Introduction Study conducted by HSR for Saint Anthony College of Nursing Designed to determine: –Skills and personal characteristics desired in today’s nurse –Current and future need for nurses –Ways nursing education programs can better prepare students for employment

Method Qualitative study conducted in the three- county area surrounding Rockford, Illinois Structured, in-person interviews: –Directors of Nursing –Vice Presidents of Nursing –Unit Nursing Managers –Human Resources Managers

23 organizations represented (77% response) 36 individuals interviewed –Hospital –Home health care –Public health –Physician office/clinic –Insurance –Mental health –Nursing home –School district –Ambulatory surgery

20 structured questions Interviews lasted minutes HSR interviewer, UIC College of Nursing graduate student note-taker HSR staff member prepared a detailed summary of each session Session summaries were examined for common themes and opinions for each of the 20 questions

BSN vs. ADN Nurses Four in ten prefer BSN over ADN, most others have no preference, a few prefer ADN Pay is the generally the same Equivalent clinical skills, or ADN better BSN better for critical thinking, decision- making, organization, global thinking, leadership

Masters Level Nurses Hospitals, large physician offices/clinics, home health, public health Provide leadership, good communication skills, global perspective on patient care, ability to conduct research, and patient education skills Bring credibility to nursing profession among hospital administrators

New Nursing Graduates Need strong interpersonal skills, willingness to learn, positive attitude Many are not prepared to perform basic nursing tasks, but can be taught if they have the right attitude Local hospitals spend much time and money training new graduates to work in specialty units

Experienced Nurses Need good assessment and critical thinking skills, experience in various settings, strong interpersonal, delegation, and communication skills Best are patient advocates, team-oriented, open-minded, with strong interpersonal skills

Qualities Difficult to Find Comfortable delegating basic patient care responsibilities to other members of the health care team Willingness to work hours needed (nights, weekends, holidays), especially younger nurses Good interpersonal skills

Work Place Adaptation Unit culture in hospitals, intense working environment Slow pace, non-technical nature of long- term care Independence for school and home health Working in the field for community mental health and home health

Current Nursing Supply Nursing shortage for hospitals, home health, long-term care Lack of nurses with specialty experience Departure from hospital setting Demand for ICU, CCU, OR, ER, Telemetry Sufficient supply for clinics, public health, school systems, state agencies, ambulatory surgery

Future Nursing Demand According to IDES, 19.4% increase in RN positions from 1996 to 2006 Extensive growth for home health, long- term care, slower for hospitals Could face a shortage in home health, long- term care, hospitals Even with use of more nurse extenders to provide basic patient care, RNs will always be needed for their advanced training

Nursing as a Career Would not advise: irregular, long hours, physical and emotional stress, liability, low pay for high responsibility, lack of respect from physicians Would advise: emotional fulfillment, various career opportunities, flexible scheduling, job availability

Improving Nursing Education Require more clinical hours through hands- on experience Carry full patient load and work a full shift Obtain specialty experience before licensure Provide a curriculum that applies theory to practice Provide activities to develop leadership and delegation skills