The primary partner is Michigan State University College of Nursing.             

Liz Greaves-Hoxsie, MPH, Program Officer

ehoxsie@bcbsm.com, (313) 225-9099

Nora Maloy, DrPH, Senior Program Officer

nmaloy@bcbsm.com, (313) 225-8205

Teresa Wehrwein, PhD, RN, CNAA, Assistant Dean

Teresa.Wehrwein@ht.msu.edu, (517) 648-1433

Kathleen Kessler, MSN RN APRN BC, Coordinator of Professional      Education and Professional Partnerships

Brief Project Synopsis: 

The BCBSM Foundation is the largest Michigan foundation that is devoted to health care and we have been funding health projects for more than 25 years.  Our commitment to Michigan nurses is evidenced by our 2003 Request for Proposals entitled Responding to the Nursing Shortage in Michigan, as well as our support of many research projects designed and conducted by nurse researchers.  Our PIN project focuses on Michigan’s experienced nurses who are planning to leave/retire from the profession.  Our project seeks to extend the life span of a nursing career by transitioning these experienced nurses into roles in community based settings.

Nursing for Life: the RN Career Transition Program will develop, implement and evaluate an educational program that will provide the core competencies that nurses need to transition to nursing roles in ambulatory, hospice/palliative care, home and long term care settings..  The educational program will have both web-based (theory modules) and community based (precepted clinical practicum) components.  The project also trains preceptors, preparing them to effectively coach, mentor and evaluate program participants.  The program is being developed with input from expert clinicians from all four specialty areas and will include core and specialty content modules.  Our modules are listed below:

Core:1) Taking an online course, 2) Professional Nursing Roles in Community Settings, 3) Communication in Multidisciplinary Settings, 4) Assessment of Older Adults, 5) Pharmacology and Pain Management, 6) Cultural Care in Community Settings, and 7) Caregiver Issues.  Long Term Care: 1) Environment of Care, 2) Regulatory Issues and Documentation, 3) Dementia, 4) Skin and Wound Care Management, 5) Physiologic Stressors, 6) Psychological Stressors.  Home Care: 1) Environment of Care, 2) Assessment, Regulatory, Documentation, 3) Patient Education, 4) High Tech Care in the Home Setting, 5) Skin and Wound Care Management, 6) Telehealth Nursing, 7) Care of Specialized Populations.  Hospice: 1) Environment of Care, 2) Regulatory Issues and Documentation, 3) Physiologic Symptom Management, 4) Psychologic Symptom Management, 5) Grief, Loss and Bereavement, 6) Pain Management at EOL, 7) Care at the Time of Death.  Ambulatory Care: 1) Roles and Settings for Ambulatory Care, 2) The Business of Ambulatory Care, 3) Telehealth Nursing, 4) Clinical Nursing Issues, 5) Chronic Disease Management, 6) Special Procedures, 7) Legal, Regulatory and Quality Issues.

The online module format allows working nurses flexibility in scheduling their studies and targets learning to their perceived needs – for example, state of the art information on technology, disease and care management.  The practicum provides participants with a structured yet supportive environment in which to acquire new knowledge and adapt clinical skills.

As of late September, several educational modules are nearing completion and are being loaded into the ANGEL courseware system, with plans for piloting the program in early 2008. Recruitment of pilot participants is underway.

Project Goals and Objectives:

Our primary goal is to extend the life span of a nursing career by transitioning experienced nurses into community based settings.  Our secondary goal is to collaborate with the Chief Nurse Executive for Michigan and other nursing leaders to engage Michigan foundation support for critical nurse workforce issues.