Planning and implementing a practice/academic partnership during COVID-19.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing programs were challenged to continue educating students at practice sites, and educational institutions limited or eliminated face-to-face education. The purpose of this article is to report on a university and community college nursing program and an academic medical center that implemented an academic-practice partnership with the goal of creating opportunities to continue clinical experiences for nursing students during the pandemic. Principles and implementation of this successful partnership provide direction for other nursing programs and practice settings that may continue to have challenges in returning students to clinical and keeping them in clinical as the pandemic continues.

We are different: learning needs of accelerated second-degree nursing students.

In this study, the authors explored the perceptions of effective teaching-learning strategies from the perspective of graduates of a second-degree prelicensure nursing program. Data were collected using interviews and analyzed using qualitative description. Seven themes were identified. These findings provide a unique perspective in identifying teaching strategies for use with these students and may provide insight and direction to others who have considered or are considering second-degree prelicensure programs.

Creating a culture of change through implementation of a safe patient handling program.

Health care professionals have a high risk for being injured while moving patients manually. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) realized a need to reduce injuries suffered during patient movement. A UIHC multidisciplinary task force consulted the latest research, trialed products, and involved employees in selecting equipment for and implementing a safe patient handling program. This program resulted in a 76% reduction in lost workdays and an 85% reduction in workers' compensation costs. The keys to this program were involving employees, partnering with a key vendor, engaging change agents at the unit level, and applying persistence and re-education to staff.