An Innovative Academic/Practice Partnership to Support Nursing Workforce Needs and Student Clinical Education.

ABSTRACT: Innovation is needed to solve nursing workforce issues during times of crisis. A collaborative effort between a hospital system and several universities resulted in the Bridge to Professional Practice Program that was implemented during a period of high patient volume and nursing student downtime. The program provided support for staffing needs and clinical hours to promote readiness for practice for students. The program evaluation outcomes and recommendations for improvement are addressed.

Orientation Learning Needs of Adjunct Clinical Faculty in the United States.

AIM: The aim of the study was to examine the orientation learning needs of adjunct clinical faculty as they transition from expert clinicians to novice educators. BACKGROUND: Schools of nursing are increasingly using adjunct clinical faculty because of the nurse faculty shortage. Retention is a concern. METHOD: This descriptive quantitative study used the Needs Assessment Survey for Topic Inclusion in a Guide to Orientation. Adjunct clinical faculty rated the level of importance of orientation topics and if they received needed information. RESULTS: The majority of topics were found to be rated very important or important. Several items deemed very important or important were either not discussed or not sufficiently discussed in orientation. CONCLUSION: The information obtained demonstrates the vast amount of information that adjunct clinical faculty want and need in an orientation.

Nursing Students' Access to Test Banks: Are Your Tests Secure?

BACKGROUND: Schools of nursing have moved to multiple choice test questions to help prepare students for licensure and practice. However, students can buy test banks to help them "get through" nursing school. Accurate assessment of nursing students' knowledge and judgment comprises access to test banks. METHOD: The purpose of this exploratory study was to gain an understanding about nursing faculty's knowledge concerning test bank security issues, to assess whether publishers were aware of this issue, and vendor's reasons for supplying test banks to students. RESULTS: Overall, the results indicated that the majority of faculty were unaware of student access to test banks, and although most do not use test banks verbatim, general consensus existed that test bank security is a concern. CONCLUSION: Implications include increasing faculty awareness of test bank access by students, supporting educators to develop their own test bank items, and promoting security of all examinations. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(5):292-294.].

Town & Gown.

Innovative approaches for building "town and gown" relationships between practicing school nurses, community partners, and universities/colleges are presented through exemplars relating to research, education, policy, and practice. The exemplars demonstrate the critical factors of successful partnerships as validated by their outcomes.

Using Schools of Nursing to Help Fill the Gap.

The shortage of school nurses, school nurses covering multiple buildings, and the expanded role of the school nurse has called for innovative ideas to meet the growing health care needs of youth. Partnering with local schools of nursing may be a welcomed strategy. This brief article will share the benefits of hosting student nurses as well as identify ways to begin these partnerships.

Enhancing Student Nurse Learning through Participation in a Community-Based Educational Program for Children and Families.

Health disparities, especially among minorities, persist; obesity is a national concern; and the combined effect can be significant for families and populations. In an effort to address obesity at an early age, the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), developed the Muevete USA™ project. Muevete USA™ (from the Spanish verb for "to move") features five lesson plans on healthy lifestyles for children and their families. This article describes Muevete USA™, the partnership with a local school of nursing, the implementation of the program at the local level and the emerging program and student outcomes of a successful partnership.

School nurse competencies. How can they assist to ensure high-quality care in the school setting?

In the world of increasing accountability, competencies in nursing practice are essential to ensure consistent, safe, and high-quality care for all students. Although this document was developed by school nurses and leaders in Connecticut, the concepts can be applied to all school nurses. Competency in School Nurse Practice is available through the Connecticut State Department of Education Web site at http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view .asp?a=2678&Q=320768&pm=1&sdePNa vCtr=[45534]#45539. For further information about competencies and supervision in your state, please contact your state school nurse consultant. To locate contact information for your state school nurse consultant, please visit the National Association of State School Nurse Consultants' Web site at www.nassnc.org and click on "About Us" to gain access to a listing of our members.