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NEW YORK CITY — Like any world-renowned hospital, the Hospital for Special Surgery relies on the research its staff conducts. Following in that tradition, the ambulatory care nurses are involved in many projects and endeavors.

They participated in a two-day evidence-based practice and research seminar presented by Patricia Quinlan, RN, MPA, CPHQ, director of nursing, education, quality, and research. The program, “Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Quality Care,” discussed the use of the Iowa Model of research. In this model, researchers don’t start from scratch, they build on existing research.

The nurses also participate in a Journal Club to discuss journal articles, become familiar with the literature, and learn to interpret and implement the information in their own practices.

Nurses are encouraged to participate in research endeavors outside of the hospital as well. Monica Richey, RN, traveled to Las Vegas to present research that she conducted with Doruk Erkan, MD, director of the cardiovascular disease prevention counseling program for lupus patients. Using a presentation that she and Erkan put together, Richey sits with patients for 45 minutes to an hour explaining the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, an affliction most lupus patients don’t realize of which they are at risk.

In addition, the hospital has begun many initiatives that seek to improve the quality of patient care and the work lives of staff.

About two years ago, nursing administration implemented a restructuring of patient care delivery after realizing nurses couldn’t define what the hospital’s model of care was, according to Stephanie Goldberg, RN, chief nursing officer. “Nursing leadership had a retreat to identify what our patient population would need and how to go about making that happen,” she says.

Through the direction of Mary McDermott, RN, assistant vice president of nursing, and research conducted by Quinlan, they came up with the clinical ladder model that coordinates care with a senior nurse, or clinical nurse III. They redefined jobs, implemented a new grad nurse residency program, and utilized on-site clinical nurse specialists as educators and mentors. To keep themselves abreast, each CNIII must belong to a nursing council, such as the research council. “The CNIII model has created specialty experts on each unit,” Goldberg says.

The model has empowered the nurses, McDermott notes. A clinical ladder committee will evaluate the program every three to five years to make sure the initiative is beneficial to patients and staff. “We measure success in terms of patient and staff satisfaction,” Goldberg says.

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Tracey Boyd is a regional reporter. To comment, e-mail editorNY@nursinspectrum.com.

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