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Future of nursing discussed at Centra Health's nursing summit

HCPro's Weekly Update on the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®*, March 14, 2006

Dr. Linda Aiken, a national nursing figure, recently delivered a keynote address to approximately 360 people at Lynchburg (VA) College during a nursing summit sponsored by Centra Health, an ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®-designated health system in Virginia. She explained that the original 41 designated hospitals researched in the 1980s had lower mortality and complication rates in patients and higher patient satisfaction rates because more nurses in these institutions pursued advanced degrees and thrived in organizational cultures that supported nursing productivity. Dr. Aiken said that recruiting and retaining nurses in today's healthcare organizations-particularly hospitals-is a problem because hospitals haven't fostered an environment that promotes nurse productivity. According to Aiken, although the program was created to serve as an "architectural plan" for other hospitals to achieve the positive results reported at the original designated facilities, it is not the "finish line." She added that in the future, she expects the bar for designation to be raised. She also sees the future of nursing changing as Medicare moves into a system of "pay for performance."

Source: The News & Advance, Lynchburg, VA (www.newsadvance.com)

Editor's note: Dr. Aiken is the director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, and professor of nursing and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.

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