Unique Educational Needs of Emergency Nurse Practitioners.

The purpose of this study is to identify the unique educational needs of emergency nurse practitioners (ENPs). A survey from 167 nurse practitioners (NPs) practicing in the emergency department (ED) settings was analyzed. A variety of certified NPs practice in EDs: family NPs (30%), adult NPs (18%), acute care NPs (40%), and some with 2 or more certifications (12%).

Creating innovative programs for the future.

Although several major national mandates advocate for a better educated workforce, this push comes at a time when the competition for faculty, financial resources, advanced technology, and students remains strong. If nurse educators are seriously considering creating a new nurse program at their school, some key points are essential during the development stage. Using the innovation frameworks from the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, from the global design firm IDEO, and from Gladwell's The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, this article examines the informal, formal, internal, and external work needed during program conceptualization, initial program exploration, resource infrastructure, support, and evaluation for an effective and innovative plan.

Nurse practitioner certification and practice settings: implications for education and practice.

Purpose: Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are certified within a population-focused specialty area, practice in a variety of settings, and treat a wide range of patients. Little is known about what agreement exists between certification obtained and actual site of practice. The purpose of this study was to examine NP practice sites as compared with their certification and examine additional education they received after employment.

A collaborative framework for managing pregnancy loss in the emergency department.

The purpose of this article is to examine how nurses can improve comprehensive care for women who suffer an early pregnancy loss in the emergency department and highlight the integral role of obstetric and emergency department nurses within a new holistic framework of collaborative care. These nurses are integral in the proposed collaborative "fetal loss framework," which provides an innovative approach for holistic care for this population.

Including a screening and brief alcohol intervention program in the care of the obstetric patient.

Alcohol is the drug most commonly abused by pregnant women and the leading cause of preventable birth defects across the United States. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral for Treatment is a program developed by the Emergency Nurses Association that has demonstrated success in treating patients who have alcohol use disorders. This interventional program can be useful to perinatal nurses caring for pregnant women with alcohol use disorders in a variety of settings.

Quality of life in caregivers providing care for lung transplant candidates.

Context: Caregivers are essential members of the health care team who provide care, valued at more than $250 billion each year, to millions of persons who require assistance with health and daily care. Patients with respiratory diseases who are waiting for a lung transplant are required to have an identified caregiver. The caregivers are rarely studied.

Serendipitous findings from an Illinois ED nursing educational survey reflect a crisis in emergency nursing.

Introduction: A survey conducted by the Research Council Of Illinois ENA was intended to assess educational needs, but it revealed some very important serendipitous findings. This survey gave a voice to the frustrations of emergency nurses.

Method: A 31-question survey was distributed to 900 Illinois ENA members requesting information about their educational needs.