Newswise — Healthcare leaders from across the country will address nurse staffing and its impact on the work environment, as part of a national conference in New Orleans next month.
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) presents “Staffing Through the Lens of HWE: Many Shades of Gray,” a half-day interactive summit, Wednesday, May 18, from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Research has shown that staffing influences patient safety, clinical outcomes and the work environment, while changes in the healthcare environment have increased pressure on organizations to seek solutions for lowering costs and increasing productivity. The daily decisions related to staffing frequently lead to a mismatch between supply and demand.
“Inappropriate staffing is one of the most dangerous threats to patient safety and to the well-being of nurses,” said Mary Bylone, RN, MSM, CNML, president and CEO of Leaders Within, Colchester, Connecticut, and a past AACN national board member. “Staffing decisions directly influence the quality of care and the work environment. Solutions must go beyond fixed nurse-to-patient ratios and focus on the goal of matching the needs of patients throughout their illness with the competencies of nurses.”
A nationally recognized expert on nursing practice, Bylone will moderate the summit, which will be held at AACN’s National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI), an annual event and the the world’s largest educational conference and trade show for nurses who care for high acuity and critically ill patients and their families. This year’s conference will be held May 16-19, with preconferences May 15.
The NTI Summit will begin with an overview of current research related to staffing as well as a discussion of AACN’s Healthy Work Environment model and its standard on Appropriate Staffing. Participants will explore the relationship between barriers to practice, current staffing methodologies and healthy work environment standards.
Throughout the interactive session, a diverse group of panelists will engage the audience in an exploration of these topics and share potential solutions to manage the challenges of staffing and barriers to practice. Panelists: • Connie Barden, RN, MSN, chief clinical officer, AACN• Diane Buntyn, RN, MSN, chief nursing officer and vice president, patient care services, Southwest Alabama Medical Center, Dothan• Linda Cassidy, RN, MSN, EdM, CCNS, clinical practice specialist, AACN• Rebecca Durham, RN, MS, DNP-C, senior director of nursing operations, William W. Backus Hospital, Norwich, Connecticut • Teri Lynn Kiss, RN, MS, MSSW, CNML, CMSRN, director of Medical Unit-2South and Case Management Services at Alaska-based Fairbanks Memorial Hospital (Banner Health)• Julie Reisetter, RN, MS, chief nursing officer, Banner Telehealth Services (Banner Health, Phoenix)• Oletha Riley, RN, ADN, staff nurse, NICU, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri• Margaret Sumovich, RN, BSN, staff nurse PICU, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri
The summit follows the recent publication of the second edition of “AACN Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments: A Journey to Excellence,” which provides a model for healthcare organizations seeking to improve performance, patient safety, staff recruitment and retention, and their workplace environment.
Over the past several years, AACN has been at the forefront of addressing issues related to healthy work environments through its scientific and clinical journals and professional development programs.
Those planning to attend the NTI Summit must first register for NTI. Special one-day registration fees — $210 for AACN members and $260 for nonmembers — makes attending for the day easy for local health professionals.
The complete conference program with all educational sessions and special events offered in New Orleans is available online at www.aacn.org/nti.
About the National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition: Established in 1974, AACN’s National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) represents the world’s largest educational conference and trade show for nurses who care for acutely and critically ill patients and their families. Bedside nurses, nurse educators, nurse managers, clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners attend NTI.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN represents the interests of more than 500,000 acute and critical care nurses and includes more than 225 chapters worldwide. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. www.aacn.org; facebook.com/aacnface; twitter.com/aacnme
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