VA ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

1
Building the Case for a Research Center at the VA
2
Resources

• Personal Communication
• Cathy Rick, Chief Nurse Executive VHA
• Anna Alt-White, Director Nursing Research VHA
• Doreen Watts, former director Trauma Research
  Center
• Audrey Nelson, Director Nursing Research Program,
  Tampa VA

3
Rationale

• The National Commission on Veterans
  Administration (VA) Nursing was established
  through Public Law 107-135 in 2002. The charge
  to the Commission was to recommend legislative
  and organizational policy changes that would
  enhance the recruitment and retention of nurses
  and to assess the future of the nursing
  profession within the Department of Veterans
  Affairs.
• Personal communication Cathy Rick and Anna
  Alt-White, Office of the Chief Nurse Executive

4
VA Nurses

• 38,000 registered nurses nationwide
• 34 bachelor degree
• 19 masters or doctoral
• 650 registered nurse VAMHCS
• 40 bachelor degree
• 20 masters
• 9 doctoral

5
Opportunistic Timing

• VA Commission mandates restructuring of nursing
  service lines by 2004
• VAMHCS current structure
• Decentralized
• Acting leadership

6
Center for Nursing Research

• Purpose
• to provide a framework for organizing quality
  education and research to support the values and
  mission of the VA in concert with the Commissions
  recommendations.
• will function under the umbrella of the Center
  for Excellence in Quality Nursing Care at VHA

7
Research Center Broad Outcomes

• High visibility for nursing in the organization.
  
• A structure to organize a research committee and
  research task force
• Serve as a basis for evidence based research
• Demonstrate organizational commitment to nursing
  and research

8
Mini-Center for Research Infrastructure
University Affiliation
VAMHCS
Medical Center Director
Chief Nurse
Chief of Staff
Nurse Executive Research/NP-Practice
VAMHCS NPs
9
Implementation

• Information Sharing
• Meetings with key stakeholders for buy in to the
  mini-center
• Town hall meetings with inter-disciplinary staff
• Advanced practice nurses
• Inpatient team members
• Social work/PT/OT, Audiology
• Outpatient clinics

10
Goals Year One

• Obtain office/library space from the Space
  Committee
• Build a research library solicit donations from
  staff, pharmaceutical educational donations,
  publishers of text and journals
• Solicit interest in research via key personnel
  clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners,
  staff nurses, social workers, nutritionists,
  physicians
• Selection of an area of interest to begin a
  research proposal Delphi study, needs
  assessment, QI data to minimize data collection,
  secondary data base

11
Goals Year One

• Begin an inter-disciplinary research committee of
  interested staff to assist in coordination of a
  research project to include a bio-statistician (
  proposal to IRB submission)
• Begin partnership with the University affiliate
  meet with School of Nursing faculty to introduce
  the mini-center and future alliance to foster
  joint research studies and opportunities for
  nursing students clinical rotation in research

12
Goals Year Two

• Apply for funding for the selected study VA
  Nursing Research Initiative, small grant from an
  organization or society, pharmaceutical sponsored
  grant
• Develop a staff nurse mini-grant program using
  the model of Shands Healthcare, Gainesville,
  Florida to foster and maintain nursing interest
  and satisfaction (Rivers, Cohen, Counsell,
  2004)
• Initiate data collection on research study
  solicit buy in from nurse managers and
  supervisors to support the ongoing data
  collection/analyses

13
Goals Year Two

• Continue research committee meetings to foster
  and maintain the research culture
• Initiate a Web based VA or VISN research
  newsletter to enhance visibility of research
  endeavors
• Continue partnership with University affiliate
  mini-center to provide mentorship opportunities
  for undergraduate and graduate nursing students

14
Goals Year Two

• Prepare manuscript(s) for publication and/or
  poster/podium presentations, nursing/hospital
  grand rounds
• Participate in National VA Research day with
  poster(s) initial/interim data of research
  study and the development process of the
  mini-center
• Nurse Executive for Research to engage in a joint
  academic appointment with a university
  affiliation type of appointment to be
  contracted

15
VA ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

• Full time VA with adjunct status/appointment at
  the University
• Two independent appointments at the VA and the
  University
• MD Model 5/8ths VA appointment 1/8th
  University appointment

16
Outcomes/Advantages

• Improved image of nursing with an increased
  emphasis on career development and educational
  opportunities
• Outcomes need to be tailored and declared to as
  an intentional part of the research projects.
• Direct outcomes of the program will be refereed
  publications, poster presentations and national
  and/or international recognition.
• to improve the quality of patient care through
  evidenced practice guidelines developed via the
  research process.

17
Conclusions

• A mini-center for research offers a viable and
  evident organizational structure that gives
  visibility and opportunity for participation by
  practicing nurses in the research process.
• existence of the center will foster a high level
  of nursing practice congruent with the
  Commissions directive to increase the number of
  nurses involved in the research process.
• Ultimately, the quality of care in the VISN may
  improve as the results of the center become known
  in the VHA and community