Nurse Scholar Call for Applications

Joint Commission Resources, Inc (JCR) and Hill-Rom, Inc are pleased to announce the call for applications for the Nurse Safety Scholar-In-Residence Program, established to translate safe patient care from evidence to the bedside. The primary aims of the JCR/Hill-Rom Nurse Safety Scholar-in-Residence Program are to foster the professional development of expert nurse clinicians and scholars to become translators of evidence into practice, and to identify best practice processes and technology associated with providing safe care for specific clinical problems.  A multi-site hospital collaborative project has been established to assist with meeting these aims. The outcomes from this project will contribute to knowledge related to minimizing and preventing harm to patients. The initial emphasis of this unique partnership was focused on the methods use to support skin care activities and the prevention of pressure ulcers. In phase two of this program the activities will focus on further development of a Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program within acute care settings. Phase two of the program will build on the work of the phase one with the emphasis on applications of the findings during phase one. The JCR Program Director will supervise the Nurse Scholar and provide overall program management.

 

During the award period, the Nurse Scholar will be expected to dedicate 0.5 FTE effort to the scholar responsibilities for the 18-month award period and a stipend will be awarded. Activities will include intermittent site visits at JCR in Oak Brook, IL,  Hill-Rom in Batesville, IN, or at participating hospitals. 

The selected Nurse Scholar will:

 

1.     Receive training in patient safety and performance measurement and improvement from Joint Commission Resources and Hill-Rom staff.

2.     Conduct an extensive literature review on the assigned topic and prepare an annotated bibliography and white paper summarizing research and evidence-based best practices. This literature will build on the work of the previous Nurse Scholars to expand information related to translating the evidence into practice. 

3.     Author a manuscript (from best practices white paper) for submission to a refereed journal.

4.     Coordinate activities of the participating hospitals, including the scholar’s home-site, under the guidance of the Nurse Safety Scholar-in-Residence program director.

5.     Gather and synthesize topic-related materials from participating hospitals with subsequent dissemination to the collaborative group.

6.     Develop content for education programs (online and seminar) and publications (e.g., newsletter, toolkits, books)

7.     Prepare summary and co-author manuscript about the multihospital collaborative experience and results and present the project at national conferences.

 

Eligibility and Application Process

 

For the phase two award period, JCR and Hill-Rom are seeking professional nurses with expertise in skin care and with advanced nursing degrees (Master’s or Doctorate) who are interested in enhancing their knowledge about patient safety and gaining a new understanding of strategies for implementing and disseminating best practices within and across health care organizations and communities.  Applications are due on July 30, 2010 for phase two of the project—October 1, 2010 through March 31, 2012.

 

Selection Criteria

 

Members of the JCR/Hill-Rom Nurse Safety Scholar-in-Residence Selection Committee represent individuals with expertise in patient safety, performance measurement and improvement, and dissemination of clinical knowledge (education, publications), and product development. Applicants will be a United States citizen or permanent resident, and be reviewed against the following criteria:

·         Application material

·         Expertise in focused clinical area

·         Professional achievements

·         Expertise in influencing change

·         Experience with dissemination of clinical knowledge

·         Personal goals for applying knowledge and experience gained through the Nurse Safety Scholar-in-Residence

·         Potential for leadership and opportunities to apply knowledge gained through the Nurse Safety Scholar-in-Residence experience

 

Preference will be given to applicants who, in addition to meeting the selection criteria above, also:

·         Demonstrate professional writing proficiency, including publications in referenced journals

·         Have group facilitation skills

·         Have public speaking expertise

·         Have computer skills related to database maintenance and data analysis

·         Are well organized and have the ability to work independently

·         Have the potential to develop into an independent investigator and demonstrate potential for long-term contributions to patient safety and quality improvement.

 

Final candidates will be interviewed and selected by JCR and Hill-Rom program staff (Steering Committee members). 

 

Access the JCR/Hill-Rom Nurse Safety Scholar-in Residence Program application instructions