The RWJ Executive Nurse Fellows Program, Part 2: Mentoring for leadership success

This article is the second in a 3-part series describing the RWJ Executive Nurse Fellows Program, an advanced leadership program for nurses in senior executive roles who aspire to help lead and shape the US healthcare system of the future. Part 1 (October 2005) described the program, its core leadership competencies, and the primary components. This article discusses the mentor experience that is a cornerstone of the 3-year fellowship program. Fellows are encouraged to have this experience with senior-level executives outside of healthcare in order to broaden their leadership perspectives. Examples of these mentor experiences are described from the viewpoints of both fellows and mentors, including successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Part 3 (February 2006) will explain how fellows are required to create a business plan for their leadership project because it is so important for nurse leaders to offer a strong business case for proceeding with anew initiative, service, or program.     

The RWJ Executive Nurse Fellows Program, Part 3: Making the business case

This article is the third in a 3-part series describing the RWJ Executive Nurse Fellows Program, an advanced leadership program for nurses in senior executive roles who aspire to help lead and shape the US healthcare system of the future. Part 1 (October 2005) described the program, its core leadership competencies, and the primary components. Part 2 (December 2005) discussed the mentor experience that is a cornerstone of the 3-year fellowship program. Fellows are encouraged to have this experience with senior level executives outside healthcare to broaden their leadership perspectives. Part 3 explains the requirement that fellows create a business plan for their leadership project to develop the skills needed to present a strong business case for a new venture or program.     

The University Hospital Nurse Extender Model. Part II, Program implementation

This second article in a four-part series provides a detailed discussion of each phase of the implementation process, along with a demographic summary of the University Hospital Patient Care Technicians' Program 2 years after program implementation. Part I provided the overview and conceptual framework for the model. Parts III and IV will present the results of a year-long evaluation of the model and the lessons learned during the implementation process.     

The University Hospital Nurse Extender Program. Part IV, What have we learned?

This article is the fourth of a four-part series on the University Hospital Nurse Extender Model using patient care technicians (PCTs). Part I provided the overview and conceptual framework for the model. Part II described the implementation process. Part III described the 1-year evaluation of the impact of the model. Part IV presents six lessons learned from this attempt to alter the way nursing care is delivered to patients. The lessons include the steps that must precede implementation, the role of leadership, the importance of clearly conveyed goals, the need for realistic incentives, and the necessity of a clearly defined communication system among those involved in the implementation.     

The Shuler Nurse Practitioner Practice Model: A Theoretical Framework for Nurse Practitioner Clinicians, Educators, and Researchers, Part 1

Because nurse practitioners (NPs) have expanded their nursing knowledge and skills into medicine they need a model that reflects this expanded role. This article presents the Shuler Nurse Practitioner Practice Model, which is wellness-oriented and suggests how patient interaction, assessment, intervention, and evaluation should occur.     

Leading change: 1--identifying the issue

To enable sustainable change, nurses need to take the lead in managing it. Recent national initiatives have emphasised the importance of frontline staff in service improvement. The ability to influence and manage change has been identified as an essential skill for delivering new models of care. This article is the first in a three-part series designed to help nurses at all levels develop the knowledge and skills they will need to initiate and manage change. This article focuses on identifying what needs to be changed and why.     

The Neuroscience Nurse Internship Program: the description.

This article describes the Neuroscience Nurse Internship Program (NNIP) and its implementation at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. The program, developed in 1988, is designed to prepare nurses to deliver care to persons with nervous system disorders. The program comprises 6 months of lecture and clinical instruction in the country's most well-known biomedical research center. In order to complete the program, nurse-interns must receive a passing grade of 90% or higher on all written tests and achieve satisfactory completion of all clinical assignments. NNIP is cosponsored by the NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Nurses interested in NNIP may apply by submitting an application and a letter of interest to the Clinical Center Human Resources Department. Evaluation of the program is conducted on a regular basis and consists of both process and outcome assessments.