Seton Hall Magazine, Winter 2003 - Seton Hall University

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patient-to-nurse ratio requirement in acute care hospitals: By July 2003, California hospitals must have at least one licensed nurse for every six medical and surgical patients. Then there are the private efforts, including the one by Sigma Theta Tau, the International Honor Society of Nursing. To attract others to the profession its members love, the society offers scholarships and mentoring programs for students. Meanwhile, hospitals and nursing homes fiercely compete for R.N.s by offering sign-on bonuses, flextime and other perks. But those carrots often come with strings, such as requiring the newly recruited nurse to work at the hospital for a certain length of time to receive the bonus. While financial incentives are attractive, many nurses are not willing to make long-term commitments to facilities if working conditions are poor. What’s needed, many within the profession believe, is real reform. “Nursing is an exciting and fulfilling profession that offers many opportunities for career growth,” Hansell says. “However, there are serious workforce issues that need to be addressed to keep nurses from leaving the field.” 14 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE Magnets for Best Practices ome hospitals, particularly those Sidentified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as magnet-designated facilities, are addressing those needs. Magnet facilities are those that provide the very best in nursing care and support professional nursing practice. At one magnet hospital, the Jersey Shore Medical Center (part of the Meridian Healthcare System), the search for R.N.s begins with those already in the pipeline. Nurse’s aides or licensed practical nurses enrolled in nursing degree programs can work part-time while maintaining full-time benefits. Among the hospital’s other incentives are tuition reimbursement, scholarships, flextime and a council where nurses’ voices are heard. Such benefits — plus competitive salaries — attract and retain nurses, says Richard Hader, M.S.N. ’87, Ph.D., vice president/chief of nursing at Jersey Shore and a member of Seton Hall’s College of Nursing Advisory Board. This fall, the nursing vacancy rate at the 500-bed hospital was 5 percent, down from 15 percent earlier in the year. But nurses are looking for something more, Hader points out.“The nursing profession is hard work, both physically and intellectually,” he notes. “In return, nurses want the recognition that they play an integral role in a patient’s well-being.” Ruben Fernandez ’75, M.A., vice president of patient care services at North General Hospital in East Harlem, New York, says his 200-bed facility has felt the impact of the nursing shortage, but not as acutely as other hospitals.
“Nurses want the recognition that they play an integral role in a patient’s well-being.” — RICHARD HADER, M.S.N. ’87, PH.D. “We’re a community hospital that serves a 99 percent minority population,” Fernandez says, “so we attract a different type of nurse — those who are interested in working in an inner-city environment.” Nonetheless, with a nursing vacancy of 10 percent, North General offers sign-on bonuses. It also is “working diligently with nurses on other major issues: morale, work advancement and involvement in decision making,” says Fernandez, who like Hader serves on Seton Hall’s College of Nursing Advisory Board. Over time, the demographics of nurses who ultimately fill positions at Jersey Shore, North General and other hospitals are changing. People who choose nursing as a second career (and thus are older than traditional college graduates) are joining the profession. In fact, the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses reports that the average age of nursing program graduates has risen to 30.5 years. And male nurses, while still only accounting for 5 to 7 percent of all nurses nationally, are becoming less concerned with stereotypes and more interested in the multifaceted, challenging opportunities the field can provide. Sheila Smith Noonan is a New Jersey-based freelancer. She writes frequently on higher education and healthcare topics. A Workplace Suited to Nurses of All Ages The reasons why Baby Boomers and Generation-Xers enter the nursing profession — and what they value in a workplace — are as different as Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen. In other words, there’s a generation gap in the nursing profession. On one hand, the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1966) are often characterized as competitive yet loyal team players. On the other hand, Gen-Xers (born between 1967 and 1980) are said to be more independent and skills-oriented workers. What’s needed is a Tony Bennett-type of middle ground. If hospitals can understand the two age groups’ differences, they can respond with a work environment that appeals to both. That’s the core message presented by SetonWorldWide graduate Judy A. Cordeniz, M.H.A. ’02 in her master’s thesis and award-winning essay. Her study, “Recruitment, Retention and Management of Generation X with a Focus on Nursing Professionals,” included a survey of working nurses and nursing students. Cordeniz is director of the Center for Continuous Improvement and Health Information Management at Holy Rosary Medical Center in Ontario, Oregon. “Gen-Xers have been criticized for having a poor work ethic, when in reality, it’s a different work ethic,” Cordeniz observes. “Baby Boomer nurses place importance on feeling valued, while Gen-X nurses desire multiple training opportunities. A management style that doesn’t take Gen-Xer values into consideration is going to have a difficult time attracting and keeping younger nurses. At the same time, hospitals can’t afford to lose experienced nurses. It will take creativity, resourcefulness and willingness to create a workplace that’s attractive to both.” Flexibility was a key concept for the Oregon resident when she chose SetonWorldWide’s online degree program, which enabled her to earn her degree from a remote location. And flexibility is going to be a key requirement in the workplace, Cordeniz has found. For nurses, that mix might include flexible scheduling, nontraditional benefits such as exercise facilities and onsite day care, continuing education opportunities and competitive pay. Cordeniz’s paper placed first in the prestigious 2002 Hill-Rom Management Essay Competition in Healthcare Administration. She was the first Seton Hall student to win the Hill-Rom award, which carried a $3,000 prize, as well as a $1,000 scholarship. Her research also was published in the Journal of Healthcare Management . WINTER 2003 15
Page 2 and 3: (From left) Freshmen Andrea Di Silv
Page 4 and 5: 2 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE Ne
Page 6 and 7: SetonWorldWide Steps Up Services to
Page 8 and 9: $2 Million Lilly Grant to Support F
Page 10 and 11: It was a lifelong passion for Engli
Page 12 and 13: The summer prior to her freshman ye
Page 14 and 15: Nursing the Profession Back to Heal
Page 18 and 19: Vital Signs BY SHEILA SMITH NOONAN
Page 20 and 21: Teaching the Importance of Integrit
Page 22 and 23: manner.” Father Meyer teaches two
Page 24 and 25: Men’s Basketball Determined Team
Page 26 and 27: Women’s Basketball Pirates Prepar
Page 28 and 29: This new department features a sele
Page 30 and 31: The 24-Carrot Manager by Adrian Gos
Page 32 and 33: Before becoming a priest, Reverend
Page 34 and 35: Reverend Christina Hindley, J.D.
Page 36 and 37: 1950s Thomas Highsmith Jr. ’50, o
Page 38 and 39: Send in Your News... ...and let oth
Page 40 and 41: Memorial Tribute Leona Kleinman, R.
Page 42 and 43: Most people don’t know that they
Page 44: For more information, call (973) 76

Seton Hall Magazine, Winter 2003 - Seton Hall University

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