On June 10th, 2011 the first planning meeting of the Idaho Nursing Action Coalition (INAC) was held. The work of the day was framed around the need to advance nursing’s ability to respond to the challenges of a transformed health care system that improve access, quality and affordability. The coalition members, who are broadly representative of nurses and business leaders statewide from industry, education and regulation, reviewed the IOM recommendations of the report. Nursing education, Inter-professional collaboration & leadership,  and access to care were identified as the  the highest priorities for action in Idaho. Workgroups were established in priority areas and they began to set initial goals.  A smaller regionally representative Leadership Team which would coordinate the development and work of the 3 Action Teams was formed. From the leadership team, co-chairs for the 3 Action Teams were identified.

As an action coalition with the Campaign for Action, INAC and its three Action Teams receive regular communication and support from the Center to Champion Nursing in America and RWJF. CCNA's webinar series is a major component of the support for the Campaign, as a collaborative effort to implement solutions to the challenges facing the nursing profession, and to build upon nurse-based approaches to improving quality and transforming the way Americans receive health care. Webinars have focused on nursing education, leadership, practice and inter-professional collaboration. The webinars are archived and can be accessed at http://championnursing.org/webinars-ccna

Members of INAC continue to get the word out about the IOM report and the Campaign for Action through our monthly newsletters and articles and have spoken to groups of recently hired nurses, and nurse managers from hospitals and facilities in northern Idaho. INAC continues to recruit new members.

Through its efforts, INAC has successfully placed nurses on the Governors Health Care Council, and the Patient Centered Medical Home Collaborative. In addition, members of INAC have been selected to represent nursing on the Advisory Council for the Department of Labor’s Primary Care Workforce HRSA Planning Grant. In collaboration with our partners at the Nursing Workforce Data Center at Department of Labor, members of INAC are working with the Forum of Nursing Workforce Centers and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to collect and report nationally uniform nursing workforce data. 

Save the Date

June 14, 2012  7:30am-2pm

Second Annual INAC Working Summit

St Alphonsus McCleary Auditorium, Boise
 

Co-Leads:

• Margaret Henbest, RN, MSN, CPNP – Executive Director, Idaho Alliance of Leaders in Nursing
• B.J. Swanson – Vice President, American West Bank and board member of the Idaho Hospital Association
• Steve Millard- President, Idaho Hospital Association

Structure

• The Action Coalition is comprised of key partners statewide, representing nursing, businesses and other health care providers.
• Currently there is an 8-9 member Leadership Team in place providing overall direction. At a late June planning meeting, the leadership and collaboration , education and access to care (scope of practice) workgroups, discussed thoughts and began drafting their charge. Leadership team is all volunteers.
• In July 2011, the workgroups began forming into Action Teams and co-chairs were identified for each team:

Leadership/Interprofessional Collaboration: Carolyn Calomeni (formerly Regence Blue Shield) & Buffie Main (Rural Connections)

 Education: Lita Burns (North Idaho College, President elect of Council of Nurse Education Leaders) & Lori Stinson (Lewis Clark State College, President CNEL)

Access to Care: Sandy Evans (Idaho Board of Nursing) & Cherese Severson (AANP State Representative-Idaho)

 INAC’s goal is to improve the ability of Idaho nurses to respond to the health care challenges of the future and deliver quality care that is accessible and affordable.

Priorities:

Leadership/Interprofessional Collaboration

 Increase leadership and full partnership roles of nurses to contribute to a transformed health care system

The Co-Leads have identified these GOALS which were accepted by the leadership team on Jan. 27, 2012:

• Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training
• Nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other health professionals, in re-designing health care in the United States

Objectives:

• Influence the ACO/ Patient Centered medical Home design and participation to recognize the role of the nurses as leaders of the care team.
• Increase Nurse participation on boards
• Develop a mentor program for potential nurse leaders

Education

Strengthening nurse education and training.

Objectives

• Develop an education model for nursing which promotes Associate Degree nursing graduates to achieve higher levels of nursing education
• Increase the number of graduate prepared nurses by enhancing existing programs and establishing additional programs, including PhD and DNP within 5 years.
• Strengthen nurse residency opportunities by completion of a demonstration program within 3 years and establishing a self sustaining program by 5 years.
• Complete research on career competency and make recommendations to Idaho Board of Nursing for adoption of re-licensure criteria within 5 years.

Access to Care

Improving access to care by enabling nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training.

The initial GOAL is to Maximize nursing’s ability to meet existing gaps in the health delivery system across the entire continuum of care.