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The Time Is Right—The Time Is Now…Academic–Service Partnerships Need to Be Revisited
THE TIME IS RIGHT—THE TIME IS NOW…ACADEMIC–SERVICE PARTNERSHIPS NEED TO BE REVISITED
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INCE THE 17TH century, nurses have partnered with others including religious institutions, university and college medical and nursing programs, physicians, hospitals, the government, and each other to provide nursing care and education. A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests (http://www.uberstudent.org/mod/ resource/view.php?id=27). For much of the past century and mostly due to competition, the American health care system has evolved into “partnerless” arrangements that include “a vast array of semi-autonomous professional practices, provider organizations, and payment mechanisms” (O'Neil, 2011, p. 1). The concept of “working together” did not seem to be working. But then, not much seems to be working these day, does it? Until now, perhaps with the Institute of Medicine's (2010) report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, which calls for radical transformation of the health care delivery system and delineates the pivotal leadership role that nursing must play. It is only through partnerships with “nurses; government, businesses, health care organizations, professional associations, and the insurance industry” that we can “help ensure that the health care system provides seamless, affordable, quality care that is accessible to all and leads to improved health outcomes” (www.iom.edu/ Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-ChangeAdvancing-Health.asp). Our health care system and our nation are at a critical juncture. So how do we work together to make change? What are the keys to effective partnerships? In what types of partnerships can nursing take the lead and move forward strategically to address the many education, practice, policy, regulatory, and other challenges that we as a nation face? The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) have been coleading a national task force to identify hallmarks of best practice in academic– service partnerships. Guiding principles to establishing and maintaining professional relationships are based on mutual goals, mutual respect, and shared knowledge.
The special section in this issue of the Journal of Professional Nursing highlights 19 recent innovations at local, state, and regional levels, showcasing some best practices. Partnerships that were developed by academic programs with other schools of nursing, statewide coalitions, workforce centers, and health care systems highlight innovations around simulation, workforce development and capacity, instructor competence, partner performance, and organizational effectiveness. Several lessons have been learned from these partnerships. First and foremost, academic–service partnerships are much more than finding clinical placements for students. Partnerships are difficult to develop and even more difficult to build and sustain; however, honoring the necessary time and effort to build them can result in achievements that, in isolation, would not be attainable. Lessons learned from these leaders and from our rich history inform us of not only the need to partner with others but also the strategies that can assist us to be successful in our working together—for the future of our profession and the future of health and healthcare. Never before—at least in our lifetimes—have we in the profession of nursing been faced with such a challenge and yet such an opportunity. The time is right… JUDY A. BEAL, DNSC, RN Dean, School of Nursing and Health Sciences Simmons College Boston, MA, USA E-mail address: [email protected] ALEXIA GREEN, PHD, RN, FAAN Professor and Dean Emeritus School of Nursing Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock, TX, USA
8755-7223/11/$ - see front matter
SUSAN BAKEWELL-SACHS, PHD, RN, PNP-BC Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Program Director at New Jersey Nursing Initiative (NJNI) Dean and Professor of Nursing School of Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ, USA
330 doi:10.1016/j.profnurs.2011.10.005
Journal of Professional Nursing, Vol 27, No. 6 (November–December), 2011: pp 330–331 © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
EDITORIAL
331
References Institute of Medicine. (2010). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. IOM: Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-
Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health.asp. Accessed 8.23.2011. O'Neil, E. (2011). Leadership lab book—A discovery guide for working across organizational boundaries in health care. Center for the Health Professions, UCSF: San Francisco.
S
INCE THE 17TH century, nurses have partnered with others including religious institutions, university and college medical and nursing programs, physicians, hospitals, the government, and each other to provide nursing care and education. A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests (http://www.uberstudent.org/mod/ resource/view.php?id=27). For much of the past century and mostly due to competition, the American health care system has evolved into “partnerless” arrangements that include “a vast array of semi-autonomous professional practices, provider organizations, and payment mechanisms” (O'Neil, 2011, p. 1). The concept of “working together” did not seem to be working. But then, not much seems to be working these day, does it? Until now, perhaps with the Institute of Medicine's (2010) report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, which calls for radical transformation of the health care delivery system and delineates the pivotal leadership role that nursing must play. It is only through partnerships with “nurses; government, businesses, health care organizations, professional associations, and the insurance industry” that we can “help ensure that the health care system provides seamless, affordable, quality care that is accessible to all and leads to improved health outcomes” (www.iom.edu/ Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-ChangeAdvancing-Health.asp). Our health care system and our nation are at a critical juncture. So how do we work together to make change? What are the keys to effective partnerships? In what types of partnerships can nursing take the lead and move forward strategically to address the many education, practice, policy, regulatory, and other challenges that we as a nation face? The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) have been coleading a national task force to identify hallmarks of best practice in academic– service partnerships. Guiding principles to establishing and maintaining professional relationships are based on mutual goals, mutual respect, and shared knowledge.
The special section in this issue of the Journal of Professional Nursing highlights 19 recent innovations at local, state, and regional levels, showcasing some best practices. Partnerships that were developed by academic programs with other schools of nursing, statewide coalitions, workforce centers, and health care systems highlight innovations around simulation, workforce development and capacity, instructor competence, partner performance, and organizational effectiveness. Several lessons have been learned from these partnerships. First and foremost, academic–service partnerships are much more than finding clinical placements for students. Partnerships are difficult to develop and even more difficult to build and sustain; however, honoring the necessary time and effort to build them can result in achievements that, in isolation, would not be attainable. Lessons learned from these leaders and from our rich history inform us of not only the need to partner with others but also the strategies that can assist us to be successful in our working together—for the future of our profession and the future of health and healthcare. Never before—at least in our lifetimes—have we in the profession of nursing been faced with such a challenge and yet such an opportunity. The time is right… JUDY A. BEAL, DNSC, RN Dean, School of Nursing and Health Sciences Simmons College Boston, MA, USA E-mail address: [email protected] ALEXIA GREEN, PHD, RN, FAAN Professor and Dean Emeritus School of Nursing Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock, TX, USA
8755-7223/11/$ - see front matter
SUSAN BAKEWELL-SACHS, PHD, RN, PNP-BC Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Program Director at New Jersey Nursing Initiative (NJNI) Dean and Professor of Nursing School of Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ, USA
330 doi:10.1016/j.profnurs.2011.10.005
Journal of Professional Nursing, Vol 27, No. 6 (November–December), 2011: pp 330–331 © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
EDITORIAL
331
References Institute of Medicine. (2010). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. IOM: Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-
Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health.asp. Accessed 8.23.2011. O'Neil, E. (2011). Leadership lab book—A discovery guide for working across organizational boundaries in health care. Center for the Health Professions, UCSF: San Francisco.