Academic-Practice Partnership in Rural Maryland: Opportunities for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Training and Employment.

This case study describes how an innovative, triple-win, academic-practice partnership model can be used to deepen the clinical expertise of advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) students and improve rural Americans' access to quality patient care. It features the experience and strategies used by a school of nursing and a local rural hospital system collaborating to provide clinical experiences for APRN students pursuing doctor of nursing practice degrees.

Three-Year Pre-Post Analysis of EBP Integration in a Magnet-Designated Community Hospital.

Background: Adoption of evidence-based practices (EBP) by registered nurses (RNs) and nurse leaders continues to be a challenge. Although multiple strategies and substantial resources are being invested to advance nursing practice based on evidence, little is known about the long-term impact of these interventions.

Aims: This study was undertaken to assess nurse leaders' and clinical RNs' beliefs to use EBP, perceptions about organizational readiness for EBP, and frequency of implementing EBP following implementation of multifaceted interventions to achieve and maintain Magnet designation.

Workforce development in Maryland to promote clinical-community connections that advance payment and delivery reform.

Promoting clinical-community linkages is at the heart of Maryland's efforts systematically to transform health care delivery, with community health workers (CHW) playing a central role. This article describes how Maryland is using the evidence-base on CHW effectiveness and training to develop a workforce capable of most effectively connecting communities with care.

Leadership redefined: educating the Doctorate of Nursing Practice nurse leader through innovation.

In today's society, health care systems are characterized by change, unpredictability, increasing speed of information and knowledge exchanges, redefined organizational boundaries and hierarchy, emphasis on value, teamwork, interdisciplinary collaboration, diversity, and interconnectedness. This new reality has forced nurse educators to redefine nursing leadership and prepare the Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) leader through innovative courses offering experiential learning based on complex adaptive systems and quantum leadership theory. This article describes the experiential learning approach and integrated learning experience for DNP students.

Is it time to pull the plug on 12-hour shifts?: Part 2. Barriers to change and executive leadership strategies.

This article is part 2 of the series "Pulling the Plug on 12-Hour Shifts." In part 1 (March 2010), the authors provided an update on recent evidence that challenges the current scheduling paradigm that supports the lack of safety of long work hours. Part 2 describes the barriers to change and challenges for the nurse executive in moving away from the practice of 12-hour shifts.