Dr. Sallie J Shipman

Hospital-based nurses are on the frontline of no-notice disaster events. They are supervised by a nurse executive (NE) who is responsible for the constant delivery of safe and competent nursing care, including during times of disaster. As a member of the hospital administrative team and Hospital Incident Command System, the NE is well positioned to maximize nurses’ safety and readiness. Specific actions by NEs during no-notice events are largely absent from the scientific literature. This non-experimental, descriptive, qualitative study aimed to describe the observations and actions of NEs (n = 6) who experienced at least one no notice disaster event. Domains from The International Council of Nurses Core Competencies in Disaster Nursing served as a framework for analysis. A collaborative thematic analysis then considered the real-life experience of NEs who supervised nurses’ response to a major no-notice disaster. NEs were amongst the first administrators to respond onsite. Communication was often most effective using personal cell phones. Nurses needed to make immediate life-saving decisions despite the absence of a formalized incident command structure. Many suffered from traumatic exposure and NEs facilitated immediate and long-term mental health support. This article describes our study methods and the seven themes that emerged from our analysis, along with implications for research and practice.

Utilizing the subjective experience of nurse executives who have supervised nurses during a major disaster in a hospital setting, this study aims to describe the subjective experience of nurse executives (NE) who have supervised nurses' responses to major disasters. This paper will focus on strategies to support nursing response to disasters, specifically to strengthen resiliency and the ability to maintain function despite the shock of a disaster, including those caused by climate change.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 hospital-based nurse executives who supervised nurses during some of the worst natural and human-made disasters in different regions of the United States. A phenomenological approach was used to analyze and describe emerging themes from the qualitative data.
Three nurse executives demonstrated theme saturation for mitigation steps to augment traditional disaster readiness activities: (1) Assessment of human infrastructure: daily skills needed during disaster response; (2) Identification and study of failure points and metrics; (3) Strengthening human infrastructure: rectifying deficiencies; and (4) Monitoring metrics and making corrections during conventional periods.
Mitigation steps may improve outcomes in hospital function during conventional times; therefore, these steps may improve resiliency and the ability to maintain functions during major disasters, including climate change.

We conducted semistructured telephone interviews with 2 hospital-based nurse leaders who supervised nurses during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in northeastern region of the United States. These interviews are a subset of a larger study with 11 nurse executives who supervised nurses during both natural and human-made disasters in different regions of the United States. Qualitative data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach, followed by a content analysis of emerging themes. Participants shared several key concepts: deep commitment of nurses in an extensive range of roles and responsibilities during tragic events; an emphasis on educational needs to best prepare nurses for disaster response; the importance of organizational strategies and definitive policies for supporting nurses' response and recovery; and mental/emotional health support as essential for nurses to cope with the events. The nurse executive participants reported many opportunities to enhance nurses' knowledge and skill set to augment care in the hospital. A team-based approach that leverages the expertise of team members to strengthen the health care team is implemented and demonstrates positive patient outcomes.

Poverty is a complex social problem, which is considered a major factor in poor health outcomes in the United States. Current scholarship suggests that the complexity of poverty on health and healthcare requires an interprofessional response, and that professionals and students have limited understanding of the causes and implications of poverty. Effective and relevant education is needed to train health care professionals to relate to individuals living in poverty. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a team-based simulation on student perceptions and critical thinking about poverty. Data were collected from 17 simulations, which took place at a university over a two-year period. Evaluations were completed by more than 800 students, and results showed promising improvements in students' ability to think critically about poverty and increases in their ability to understand others' perspectives regarding living in poverty. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning.

Introduction: Changes in nursing, health care, and education warrant continued pedagogical innovations. Faculty are challenged to develop many innovative strategies in the clinical and simulation laboratory setting. Intentional simulation-based learning experiences are one method to prepare new graduates for nursing practice.
Methods: One college integrated intentional simulation-based learning experiences as an improvement strategy in a newly transformed undergraduate nursing curriculum, from mapping through evaluation and revision. Simulation-based learning experiences that were intentionally mapped, organized, and interactive enhanced the teaching and learning needs of students and faculty.
Conclusion: The positive outcomes from this curricular transformation serve as a platform for continuous improvement for future approaches to nursing education. This affirmed that the key to transforming a nursing curriculum encompasses intentional mapping, evaluation, and revision.

Previous research suggests many health care professionals and students, including those in social work, have limited understanding of the causes and implications of poverty. Effective and relevant education is needed to train health care professionals to relate to those living in poverty. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of team-based simulations on student perceptions and critical thinking about poverty. Data were collected from three poverty simulations, which took place at a university in the spring of 2015. Evaluations were completed by 230 students, and results showed promising improvements in students' ability to think critically about poverty and increases in their ability to understand others' perspectives regarding living in poverty.

The study purpose was to examine the reflections of the lived experiences of nurses in shelters or temporary community medical clinics responding for the first time to a civilian disaster. The disaster-nursing literature echoes the need for development of disaster content in the nursing curriculum. However, little thematic analysis-supporting curriculum from the lived experience of first-time responders exists in the literature. This study's purpose is to identify the essential thematic knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to disaster survivors in communities and for determining the themes necessary to formulate education in emergency preparedness curricula. A narrative inquiry, with a phenomenological analysis, to explore the lived experiences of nurses who responded once to a community disaster was the methodology used to identify themes. Thematic findings demonstrated a lack of prior knowledge about volunteering during a disaster response, that previous mass casualty exercises did not help with their actual responses, and that the participant RNs identified specific and assessment skills necessary for disasters.

A case study was conducted to examine the appropriateness of the clinical nurse leader (CNL) role and its use within the Alabama Department of Public Health. The role of the CNL to provide leadership within the public health environment is examined. Using the aspects of the CNL training toward improvement of patient outcomes and prevention of errors through coordination was the key outcome of the case study. The role of the CNL was used to provide evaluation while promoting progress and improvement of planning efforts with the performance improvement planning microsystem. The article will discuss and evaluate various functions of the CNL role as it is adapted to the public health environment. The CNL role, as described in the case study furthermore, may be implemented in a wide variety of similar situations through the nation's health settings.