NCONL Inaugural Research Symposium
November 12, 2010
Andrews Conference Center—WakeMed Health and Hospitals, Raleigh, NC
Award Winners and NCONL Leaders
(left to right)
Betty Woodard, PhD, RN, Director, Nursing Research, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, NCONL Research Committee Co-Chair; Pamela Hamilton, BSN, RN, Winner, Scholarship for 2011 NCONL Research Symposium; Joan Bageant, BSN, RN, CWON, Cape Fear Valley Health System, Winner, Leadership Award—Evidence-based Practice Poster, (CSI: Complete Skin Inspection-Preventing Pressure Ulcers); Tammy Luther Burge, MSN, RN, Novant Health-Forsyth Medical Center, Winner, Leadership Award—Research Poster, (Are Nurses Completing the Hendrich Tool II Accurately?); Doris Esslinger, NCONL Executive Director; Beth Langley, PhD, RN, CCRN-CSC, Coordinator, Nursing Research & EBP, Cape Fear Valley Health System; Cheryl Jones, PhD, RN, FAAN; Associate Professor, Health Care Systems, School of Nursing at UNC Chapel Hill, NCONL Research Committee Co-Chair
NCONL Nursing Research Symposium Leadership Award
Symposium Speakers
Opening Keynote Address
The Impact of Nursing Research: What Miscarriage Can Tell Us About Decreasing Decubitus Ulcer Rates
Kristen M. Swanson, RN, PhD, FAAN
Dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dr. Swanson talked about her Swanson Theory of Caring, as a “nurturing way of relating to valued others when one feels a personal sense of commitment and responsibility.” She said that the core value of caring is translated to practice by keeping patients safe. She suggested that the positive effects of caring found in her past research study regarding caring-based interventions after miscarriage could also be applied to a model for developing protocols to prevent pressure ulcers.
Conference attendees who would like a copy of Dean Swanson's slides may request a copy by emailing her at swansok@email.unc.edu.
A Point-of-Care Research Model
Bradi Granger, RN, PhD, FAHA, FAAN
Director, Heart Center Nursing Research Program
Associate Director, Duke Translational Nursing Institute
Duke University Health System
Dr. Granger gave tips for success in choosing the most ideal clinical research question: 1) large number of subjects involved; 2) clinical outcomes are important to the unit and the organization; 3) no extra funding needed; 4) research tools already exist; and 5) least amount of energy required to complete. She encouraged all nurses to participate in research: “You are investigators already. You can do it! Go for it!” [download Powerpoint presentation]
Staff Nurses' Stories About Research
Sally Bulla, RN, PhD
Research Associate
Nursing Education and Research
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
Dr. Bulla told how her co-authoring the book Real Stories of Nursing Research evolved out of a research study exploring the question “How do nurse researchers at Magnet® designated hospitals implement nursing research programs?” She identified barriers in doing nursing research: 1) fear; 2) time; 3) money; 4) limitations of nurse researchers; and 5) inadequate preparation of nurses. She said that management support, mentoring, and collaborative relationships are key in the implementation of nursing research. [download Powerpoint presentation]
Staff Nurse Perspective: How I Led a Nursing Research Study
Betty Easter, RN, CPAN
Staff Nurse, PACU
Catawba Valley Medical Center
Betty outlined the journey through the recognition of a noise level issue in her hospital’s 12 bay open Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) to the completion of a research study. The research question was “Will music impact the PACU patient’s perception of pain, physiological indicators, need for narcotic intervention, length of PACU stay and satisfaction?” She obtained a $500 community grant from the local Wal-Mart to buy supplies like CD players with headsets, various music CDs, CD storage cases, and a TV with DVD player for the Pediatric bay. The increased patient satisfaction noted during the study impacted nursing practice in the PACU. Now any patient in that unit who is not on isolation has the choice of listening to the music of their preference. [download Powerpoint presentation]
CNO Perspective: How I Support Point-of-Care Research
Eddie Beard, RN, MSN, NEA-BC
Senior VP of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer
Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC)
Eddie reported his strategy for supporting nursing research at the bedside: 1) Set the direction; 2) Hire right; 3) Remove barriers; and 4) Get out of the way. He said the nurses at CVMC “had good clinical ideas, but lacked experience in evidence-base practice and in the research processes necessary to truly bring about practice change in a reliable and timely manner.” Structure was set in place in 2006 to support research: 1) Clinical Research Consultant hired full-time to develop/direct a permanent research & EBP program; 2)Research and EBP Council of nurses formed; 3) Staff education begun after anonymous e-survey to gauge baseline knowledge; and 4) Adopted the Point-of-Care Research Model.
Ending Keynote Address
Engaging Nurse Leaders at all Levels: Facilitating Point-of-Care Research
Rex Healthcare Panel (left to right): Ann Dudley, RN, BSN, RNC, Clinical Manager, Labor and Delivery; Janice Laurore, RN, ADN, Staff Nurse, 3W Cardiac Telemetry Unit; Sherry Whitt, RN, MSHA, Director, Medical/Surgical and Emergency Nursing Services; Joanne Kuszaj, RN, MSN, CCRN, Director, Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Nursing; Mary Lou Powell, RN, MSN, Senior VP of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer
The nurse leaders from Rex Healthcare reviewed their history of nursing research, including the formation of the Nursing Research Council in 2004 and the choice of the Unit-Based Team model with a Clinical Nurse Specialist assigned to mentor the team composed of staff nurses.
They listed the role of formal nurse leaders in supporting research:
CNO—Encourage Magnet® expectations
Director—Find money; acknowledge work; and stay out of the way.
Manager—Support staff by giving them the freedom the think without discounting their ideas,
and allow them time to participate.
CNS—Mentor staff nurses.
One staff nurse at Rex who was ready to get out of nursing has been revitalized by participating in nursing research studies. He said, “Research changed my life!” [download Powerpoint presentation]
Symposium comments from a new RN
Alice Wiggins is a new RN, who began work a few months ago on the Oncology unit at Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington, NC. She said that studying research in nursing school last year seemed overwhelming at first but became more understandable. “I’m interested in learning more,” she said. “Hearing these speakers today gives me more confidence to try a research study to improve care on my unit.”
Symposium Quick Facts
168 Registrants from 40 Healthcare Entities
34 Poster Presentations
18 Members on the NCONL Research Committee from 16 Healthcare Entities
Highlights and Photos by:
Cherry Odom, BSN, RN, Mission Hospital, Asheville, NC
Chair, NCONL Information Services Committee
Secretary, NCONL District One
cherry.odom@msj.org