The role of the operating room nurse manager in the successful implementation of preoperative briefings and postoperative debriefings in the VHA Medical Team Training Program.

To improve communication within surgical teams, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) implemented a Medical Team Training Program (MTT) based on the principles of crew resource management. One hundred two VHA facilities were analyzed. Nursing leadership participation in the planning stages of the program was compared with outcomes at follow-up. Nurse manager participation in planning was associated with higher rates of implementation of preoperative briefing and postoperative debriefing. Nurse managers are a critical component in the planning phase of team training programs focused on OR clinical staff.

Group e-mentoring: a new approach to recruitment into nursing.

In an effort to interest young people in the nursing profession, a unique approach merging mentoring with electronic communications was developed. This program, Group Electronic Mentoring in Nursing (GEM-Nursing), aims to educate and motivate young people, ages 15-21, to consider the nursing profession as their career choice. It links students with volunteer nurse mentors across the country via e-mail and a Web site (www.gem-nursing.org). This article describes the process of creating and maintaining a virtual community of nurse mentors and potential nurses. Group e-mentoring allows nurse mentors, limited in terms of their time and geographical location, to provide advice, information and support to potential nurses. It reduces the barriers of scheduling and allows mentors to interact with many more students.