Principal Investigator: Mary Cote, MSN, RN, PCCN
One of the most common dissatisfiers for off shift nurses is the lack of leadership support and clinical resources. Given that most newly hired nurses are hired to off shift positions, a need was identified for senior nurse support directly at the bedside. The Division of Surgery and Cardiovascular Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital implemented the use of Clinical Nurse Educators during these off shifts in September 2020 to the present. This role did not exist prior to September of 2020. A literature review demonstrated that educators are often used for formal classes on the off shift rather than performing nightly rounds on each unit and offering “in the moment” support to all nursing staff. This role was quite unique.
Our study goal was to evaluate the contributions of the Clinical Nurse Educator group. The Red Cap data was collated and demonstrated the areas of frequent staff need. The top five areas found are: diagnosis/treatment, equipment, documentation, cardiac monitoring, and medications. A five-question survey is being distributed to all nurses within the division. Although most informal feedback has been very positive, we are searching for specific data to further define our role. We wish to present all our data during Discover Brigham Day by means of a poster presentation.
Purpose: To evaluate the contributions of Clinical Nurse Educators during off shifts (3p-11p and 11p-7a)
Methods: Using mean data from the Red Cap report of Nurse Educators, Likert Scale and qualitative responses of nurses in a survey.
Findings: Based on the redcap summary from March 2021 to September 2021, the following topics were mostly assisted by the nurse educators: 1. Diagnosis/treatment, 2. Equipment, 3. Documentation, 4. Cardiac monitoring 5. Medications, 6. Lines/tubes/drains, 7. Specimen collection, 8. Behavioral management, 9. Peritoneal dialysis, and 10. Code/rapid response.
Conclusion: The Clinical Nurse Educators are widely utilized on the off shifts as evidenced by the variety of topics discussed as well as the number of direct procedural assists at the bedside. An ongoing survey will provide formal data direct from staff nurses as to their impressions of the role.
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