PARTNERING ACADEMIA AND CLINICAL PRACTICE

BRIDGING THE GAP

THE NEED

• Community area hospitals identified the need for pediatric staff nurses to improve their knowledge and skills

• Community area hospitals identified the need to grow pediatric units to reduce the numbers of transfers of children out to larger pediatric facilities

THE PROBLEM

• Nurses in the community hospital setting have limited pediatric nursing experience and had the desire to seek further opportunities to improve their pediatric nursing skills

• Nurses in the community hospital setting have small pediatric units and experience varied patient census

THE SOLUTION

• Through a joint effort between HCA and LSC Corporate College funded by a grant, pediatric nursing faculty from Lone Star College-Kingwood would teach nurses in the community hospitals pediatric nursing content and skills

• The reward to LSC-Kingwood would be able to purchase pediatric simulation manikins to add to the LSC-Kingwood Hospital

PLANNING THE COURSE

• Identified areas of content to improve pediatric assessment, knowledge and skills were defined by the staff nurses

• Areas identified as needs were respiratory (asthma, croup syndromes, and respiratory assessment), allergic reactions, gastrointestinal (fluid and electrolytes, dehydration, appendicitis), child abuse, and end of life care

THE COURSE

• The review course was held on two separate days that included a total of 16 nurses in each eight hour session

• Activities rotated between the classroom and the simulation skills lab

• Skills were reviewed with hands on experience synonymously related to the didactic topic presented in the classroom

THE RESULTS• A pre test was given at the beginning of the course.

The most frequently missed questions on this test were about asthma assessment, characteristic of a sexually abused child, hypersensitivity reactions, and types of dehydration

• The post test given at the end of the course showed all of these questions answered correctly

• Evaluation of the course showed 65% of the participants rated the experience as a “4-completely satisfied, 1% rated a “3-almost satisfied” and the remainder rated a combination of 3s and 4s

PARTICIPATING HOSPITALS• Conroe Regional Medical Center

• Kingwood Medical Center

FACULTY

• Mary Bjorklund, MSN, RN, CPN

• Doris Jackson, MSN, RN

• Lee Jerls, MSN, RN

• Diane Langton, MSN,PNP