Nurse Attitudes: A Descriptive Study of Families' Importance in Inpatient Nursing Care.

Background: Family support and patient outcomes are linked to nurses' attitudes toward families' importance in patient care.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to characterize inpatient oncology nurses' attitudes toward families' importance in nursing care and determine characteristics related to these attitudes.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used with a single set of measurements from inpatient oncology nurses at a comprehensive cancer center in the southeastern United States.

Development of the role of director of advanced practice nursing.

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are integral to cost-effective delivery of health care in large health care organizations. Development of the leadership position of director of advanced practice nurses in a large teaching institution provides leadership to APNs in various settings, contributes to staff satisfaction, facilitates increased professional growth, and provides improved quality and fiscal outcomes. Job satisfaction, productivity, accountability, and communication may be enhanced through implementation of the role of director of advanced practice nursing and a committee structure of APNs, as was found in this academic health system.

The Career Advancement for Registered Nurse Excellence Program.

Nurse administrators focus on factors that influence nurses' levels of satisfaction to reduce turnover and improve retention. One important determinant of nurses' satisfaction is the opportunity for professional development. On the basis of feedback from the nurses, a professional development program, Career Advancement for Registered Nurse Excellence, was instituted.

Retaining and recruiting mature experienced nurses: a multicomponent organizational strategy.

The aging and impending retirement of the nursing work force will worsen the nursing shortage. Because nurses retire for a variety of reasons, retaining older nurses or delaying their retirement requires a multifactorial method. The authors describe one medical center's multifaceted approach and subsequent strategies to create a work environment conducive to retaining the mature, experienced nurse.