NEW KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENTS
The Hearst Nurse
Scholars Program
HEATHER HARMON,
BSN, RN, CPN, CNII
A few current recipients:
STRUCTURAL EMPOWERMENT
Balancing Ownership
Restructuring Shared Governance
ABI ENO,
BSN, RN, CPN
To combat these divisions, a team of bedside nurses from the medical and surgical
floors innovated a “bottom up” approach to collaboration. Adopting Kotter’s Model
of Change, the nurses facilitated face-to-face conversations with leadership and
among team members from multiple disciplines, and held open forums to get
a pulse on opportunities for improvement. They researched models for council
structure from other pediatric institutions and innovated a council structure
that practices shared governance rather than self-governance or participatory
management. Armed with their proposal and in partnership with their nursing
director, they presented their findings to Chief Nursing Officer Pat Givens and other
key stakeholders. AMY MERSMAN,
BSN, RN, CPN
JENNIFER COFFMAN, JD, BSN, RN, CNRN
Master of Science in Nursing Leadership in Master of Science in Nursing;Doctor of Nursing Practice
Health Care Systems-Management Focus
And, with the support of leadership and team members alike, they formed
four councils: Shared Governance, Clinical Care, Professional Education and
Development, and Team Member Support. Each of these councils consists of two
co-chairs and a unit-based leadership sponsor, in order to facilitate optimum shared
decision-making and mentorship. ANN WHITE,
BSN, RN
AYDRIAN DEDIEMAR, MBA, BSN, RN,
NEA-BC, RN-BC
JENNIFER ROTH, BSN, RN, CCRN
Master of Nursing Administration;
Master of Business Administration
Capstone: Decreasing turnover of critical care nurses through
resiliency development.
“I would like to add to the body of leadership knowledge
regarding the real and intriguing dynamic of younger leaders
succeeding in a multi-generational workplace.” HEATHER FITZGERALD, MS, RN KAREN WALTON, MS, RN, CPON
Dissertation: Discover if and to what extent there is a
relationship between younger leaders’ behaviors and the
emotions of older subordinates.
SARAH BACA,
RN, MBA, NEA-BC, PMP
“The Hearst Scholarship represents the commitment and
opportunity that Children’s Colorado places on developing
nursing leaders and the chance to contribute to this vision.”
“Continuing education is of upmost importance to me both
personally and professionally. Pursuing this degree and
continued professional development is not without financial
and personal impact. I am so appreciative of the support
from both the Hearst Foundation as well as our Chief Nursing
Officer, Pat Givens, in establishing this scholarship to support
continuing education for nursing leadership. This scholarship
certainly has meaning to me personally, but it has more
meaning for what it represents for our Division of Nursing
across the organization.”
Doctor of Education in Organizational
Leadership and Development
Implemented on a unit level, this new shared governance model promotes
participatory decision-making that helps foster intention, organize teams, and
allow shared ownership of project work. Initial data shows major improvement in
engagement, and the attendance for Shared Governance Council meetings has tripled.
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ANDREA BURRELL, BSN, RN, CPEN
“Being awarded this scholarship has been
such an honor. It is so humbling to have been chosen. It’s
lightened my financial burden, allowing me to focus on my
degree without worry of tuition. I plan to use my degree to
make a difference as a leader, setting an example for my team
and making a difference in the lives of the patients and
families we serve.
As a three-time Magnet-designated hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado was
posting overall satisfaction ratings for unit team members that were lower
than the national average. Lack of organization, visibility, communication and
follow-through on non-direct care efforts, coupled with low engagement in
shared governance, led to a perceived inability to make meaningful change and a
misalignment between leadership and the front-line team.
As a best practice, their approach is being shared and adapted house-wide.
As the healthcare industry rapidly changes, nurses must be prepared
with new knowledge, new competencies and new skills. The Hearst Nurse
Scholars Program offers financial support to nurse-leaders currently
completing or planning to complete graduate studies in order to acquire the
educational and theoretical foundations they’ll need to lead the hospital
into the future.
Doctorate in Bioethics Doctor of Nursing in Advanced Leadership
Dissertation: Creating and sustaining a
climate where it is normative to respectfully raise, discuss and
address ethical questions or concerns. Dissertation: Creation of a patient acuity system in our
infusion centers.
“The Hearst Nurse Scholar Award assures my inquiry and
application on that path and will contribute to establishing
Children’s Hospital Colorado as a center of excellence
regarding ethical practice and moral resilience.”
“This has been an amazing honor and I feel respected and
valued by the organization and by the Hearst Foundation, as
this will contribute to my success in the program that I am in.”
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