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W H A T A T T R A C T S
E X C E L L E N C E ?
“Back in the 1980s, there was
a huge nursing shortage, and
some of the nursing leaders at
the time noted there were several
hospitals that didn’t seem to have
a problem recruiting nurses,”
Joan said.
After researching those hospitals,
certain constants were found that
eventually became the foundation
of the Magnet model.
“Magnet reviews its standards
and makes them a little bit
tougher each time,” Joan said.
“It’s about sustaining good out-
comes. You have to show what work
you’ve done to improve patient
outcomes.”
The Magnet Recognition
Program is a nationally respected
designation.
U.S. News & World
Report
utilizes Magnet status as
a primary competence indicator
for its assessment of almost
5,000 hospitals.
A major part of the Magnet
model is the focus on interdisci-
plinary collaboration for the benefit
of patients. That starts with nurses
having a voice through an entire
organization.
“The people at the bedside are
the leaders driving change,” Robert
said. “Nurses are collaborating
with other professionals to improve
patient care.”
STRONGER TOGETHER: From left,
Connie Drager, B.S.N., R.N., the on-site
nurse at Venture, and Coeur d’Alene
School District School nurse and health
care coordinator Cindy Perry teamed up
to make sure students receive high-
quality care.
A POWERFUL BOOST
Venture, which began in the district as Project CDA (Creating Dropout
Alternatives), provides fundamental education and technical train-
ing for students who have previously struggled in more traditional
classrooms.
Coeur d’Alene School District school nurse and health care coor-
dinator Cindy Perry obtained a grant to fund a half-time nurse at the
school, with the hope that the school’s smaller population would be
ideal for measuring the nurse’s impact on overall health and atten-
dance numbers.
“In the long run, it benefits everyone to have those kids in school
and learning and becoming responsible, healthy citizens,” Cindy said.
The grant is now entering its third year, with Connie Drager, B.S.N.,
R.N., serving as the on-site nurse at Venture. Care includes the man-
agement of prescribed medications, assessment of day-to-day health
complaints, development of chronic care programs, overall health
advisement, and much more.
The results so far are encouraging, as attendance rates at Venture
have climbed steadily since Connie’s hiring. Those findings are the
subject of Cindy’s conference presentation, which she hopes will make
an impact on other health care professionals attending the event.
“I would like to think other communities might be able to look at
what Kootenai Health has done in providing nurses in the school dis-
trict and maybe see that as a way to contribute to their communities,”
Cindy said.
While Cindy is an employee of Kootenai Health, the school district
has continued to expand its budget for in-school nurses under her
direction. Perry said the district has been able to add a full-time or
half-time nurse almost every year since she started in the position.
“Most schools now have a nurse at least half-time,” Cindy said. “The
national recommendation is one nurse for every 750 healthy students.
If we were doing that, we'd have two nurses in some of our schools.
So it’s still not what’s recommended, but it’s better than what it was
before.”
Cindy hopes her findings will increase support for in-school nursing
programs nationally.
KH . ORG
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