What's New
Greater Kansas City Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Workshop
The first joint academic and service workshop on integrating QSEN into both curricula and practice was held on Sept. 28, 2011 at Graceland University. Over 70 participants attended, representing 14 schools of nursing and 10 service organizations. A team of investigators from academic and service settings decided it was important to determine where the Greater Kansas City Area schools of nursing were in their implementation of QSEN competencies. Service representatives on the research team recognized that unless we also incorporated these competencies for seasoned nurses, there would be a gap between the knowledge base of new and practicing nurses related to quality and safety. This research team included Susan Lacey, PhD, RN, FAAN, Director Patient Care Services Research, Children's Mercy Hospital; Nancy DeBasio, PhD, RN, Dean and Professor, Research College of Nursing; Claudia Horton, PhD, RN, Dean and Professor, Graceland University School of Nursing; Teri Murray, PhD, RN, Dean, Saint Louis University School of Nursing; Adrienne Olney, Clinical Trials Coordinator, Children's Mercy Hospital; and Karen Cox, PhD, RN, FAAN, Executive Vice-President and Co-COO, Children's Mercy Hospital.
The keynote address was presented by Judith J. Warren, PhD, RN, BC, FAAN, FACMI, National QSEN Co-Investigator and Consultant, Christine A. Hartley Centennial Professor, and Director of Nursing Informatics, KUMC Center for Healthcare Informatics at the University Of Kansas School Of Nursing. Dr. Warren provided the history and impact of QSEN since its inception.
This was followed by separate workshops for service and academic participants to discuss and plan how to integrate quality and safety competencies into their schools and hospitals, as well as how to create solid service/academic partnerships in order to change the landscape for our patients: Keeping patients safe, one nurse, one system at a time. As we all know, nurses continue to be the most trusted profession in the nation; however, we must shift into high gear, making sure that our patients know, "Nurses are quality agents assuring safe passage for all patients through our complex healthcare system" (Lacey).
Regional Nurse Network (RN2)
The fall Regional Nurse Network workshop was held on Sept. 16, 2011 at Research Medical Center. It was entitled "Finding Your Mojo: What it is, Why it matters, What it does!" Mojo is the sense of positive spirit and direction, achieving goals and connecting to life meaning. The Regional Nurse Network is a grassroots community of nurses who share resources and learn from each other. It began in the California bay area, where it has expanded to include 5,000 members. Kansas City has been designated the second national site.
Nursing Innovation Conference
The Nursing Innovation Conference was held on September 10, 2010 at the Westin Crown Center. The Keynote Address was given by Dr. Ed O'Neil and the Closing Note by Martha Farmer. Participants from the Clinical Scene Investigator (CSI) Academy and the Work Environment Assessments presented their projects and results. The presentations from this Conference are available for download at the bottom of this page.
IHI Open School
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is offering a series of free online classes for healthcare professionals. These courses teach skills related to quality improvement, patient safety, and leadership. For more information on the Open School, see the IHI webpage.