Boise State University,

Nursing Department

Elmore Medical Center

Gooding County Memorial Hospital

Idaho Elk’s Rehabilitation

Hospital

McCall Memorial Hospital

St. Luke’s Magic Valley Regional Medical Center

St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center

St. Luke’s Wood River

Medical Center

Syringa General Hospital

Weiser Memorial Hospital

Rural Connection is a consortium of nursing leaders who are innovators for patient care.  Through collaboration and a shared vision, Rural Connection provides a collegial environment for rural, urban, and academic partners.

Education, performance improvement, research, sharing of resources, and ongoing communication and networking are a part of a Rural Connection tradition that has been nurtured since 1990.  Rural Connection membership is rural, urban, and academic.  Its membership includes hospitals throughout Idaho and also includes Boise State University, Department of Nursing.

Rural Connection began in 1990 through a "Strengthening Hospital Nursing" grant funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation / Pew Charitable Trust.  The grant ended in 1995 and Rural Connection continues to evolve and participate in projects that improve health care practices.

A 501(c)3 non-profit organization composed of rural, urban, and academic nursing leaders

A voice for nursing leaders and the rural nursing experience.

A networking forum for nursing leaders in Idaho.

A collection of resources and services for the rural and tertiary nurse.

A driver of initiatives that directly impact health care practices and nursing.

Rural Connection

Mission* Vision* Values

MISSION VISION

VALUESWe exist to… Our decision-making guide…

Provide a collegial environment for

creative solutions to patient care

for rural, urban, and academic partners.

By 2010, Rural Connection will

be nationally recognized nurse

leaders who create innovative processes that improve patient

care.

AttainableCollaborativeSustainable

Value to MembershipRespect for Diversity

and Uniqueness

Rural * Urban * Academic

Pam Springer , PresidentNursing Department Chair, Boise State University, College of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing

Sharon Kensinger, President-ElectCNO, St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center

Linda Klind, Secretary TreasurerVP Patient Care & Nursing, McCall Memorial Hospital

Joanne Clavelle VP Patient Care Services and CNO, St. Luke's Regional Medical Center

Noreen DavisSenior VP Nursing and Patient Care Services, St. Luke's Health System

Anne EricksonCNO, St. Luke’s Magic Valley Regional Medical Center

Steve Frei CNO, Syringa General Hospital

Lisa LooneyDirector of Nursing, Weiser Memorial Hospital

Lorraine Reinhardt, PresidentCNO, Gooding County Memorial Hospital

Deborah Mills CNO, Elmore Medical Center

Judy TaylorDirector of Nursing, Idaho Elk’s Rehabilitation Hospital

Jeanette Ullery, Standing GuestDirector of Education, St. Luke's Regional Medical Center

Buffie Main, Executive DirectorRural Connection

Board of Directors

Why “Rural” Connection…..Of the 44 counties in Idaho, 35 are considered to be rural. Of the 44 counties…

• 2 counties have between 0-2 RNs for every 1,000 people

• 14 counties have 3-5 RNs for every 1,000 people

• 22 counties have 6-9 RNs for every 1,000 people

• 6 counties have at least 10 RNs for every 1,000 people

SOURCE: (Idaho Rural Counties) Idaho State Office of Rural Health (RNs Employed in Idaho Counties) Idaho Nursing Workforce Center

Telling the story: the dance of collaboration and our commitment to finding solutions where rural, urban, and academic partners meet…….

Characteristics of Rural & Urban NursingFeature Rural Urban

Coordination of a continuum of care for clients

• Informal & formal services• Flexibility in planning

• Reduced access to informal networks• Reliance on formal services

Nursing Status in Community

• Nursing highly esteemed• Few nurses mean high visibility• Nurses as primary health professional

• More nurses mean less visibility• Recognition dispersed among many health professionals

Community Involvement

• Nurses many roles in a health care facility extend into the community

• Community activities shared by people having an interest in that activity

Confidentiality • Problematic due to familiarity among residents & visibility

• Less problematic due to less familiarity & visibility

SOURCE: Bushy, Angeline (2000). Orientation to Nursing in the Rural Community. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Telling the story: the dance of collaboration and our commitment to finding solutions where rural, urban, and academic partners meet…….

Boise State University,

Nursing Department

Rural Connection Theoretical Framework

Environment: The environment is the intersection of urban, rural, and academia in Southern Idaho and the surrounding region. We understand and respect that the cultures of these areas differ; and we utilize those differences to support change. We target interventions and processes that positively impact all three areas.

Person: The person refers to those who are served by our actions. This may include other Rural Connection Board Members, faculty, and/or staff directly and patients and/or students indirectly and may represent individuals, groups, communities, or organizations.

Nursing Leadership: Nursing leaders design processes and systems that allow organizations to prosper by providing a collegial environment for creative solutions to patient care. Leaders demonstrate accountability and integrity in actions.

Health: Health refers to the climate of the organization of Rural Connection as well as the work climate in the facilities we represent. The projects we undertake positively impact the health of our organization(s), patients, students, and communities we represent.

Professional Development

Leadership Development

Clinical Development

Mentoring Leaders Preceptor Program

Nurse Residency Program Rural Competency

Leadership Development

Providing a foundation and network for supporting the development of nurse preceptors by improving their skills in teaching, leadership, mentorship and communication, Rural Connection is administering a comprehensive, sustainable preceptor program for rural and tertiary care centers alike. Rooted in the rural nursing experience, the program has a unique appreciation for rural nurse preceptors and the diverse circumstances under which they precept.

Preceptor Program

Topics: Teaching & Learning Styles ~ Competency ~ Critical Thinking & Clinical Judgment ~ Communication & Conflict Management ~ Delegation ~ Team Building

Spring 2007 Workshop Rollout(Two workshops in Boise, One in

Gooding) 81 Participants from 8

Hospitals

December 2007 WorkshopSt. Luke’s Wood River

32 Participants from 6 Hospitals

The Graduate Nurse Residency Program is designed to ease the transitional challenges of moving from nursing student to clinical nurse professional. Opportunity to socialize with fellow new graduate nurses 4 hour monthly sessions for 1 year Peer support and reflective practice Expert subject matter presenters Clinical Coach to ask questions

2007 148 Participants from 5 Hospitals

Clinical

Development Nurse Residency Program

Clinical

Development Rural Competency

Rural hospitals face unique challenges in the way of competency development and validation. From the role of the Rural Nurse Generalist necessitating that nurses be experts in all services of the hospital, to a low-volume experience of certain high-risk skills, and a lack of resources for a new nurse all contribute to the challenges facing developing and validating competency in a rural facility.

Rural Connection is building a rural competency tool that includes checklists specifically geared to a rural facility as well as a learning module for the validation of competency. The checklists include space for a facility to include resources & policy information, critical thinking scenarios, and a validation tool.

Leadership Development

 “Leadership is essentially a work in progress—a never-ending journey with facets and elements that add up to a broad and complex mosaic”

-Tim Porter O’Grady

Promoting the professional development of nursing personnel and the practice of nursing, Rural Connection strives to develop a model for mentoring new nursing leaders. In 2007, Rural Connection hosted a nursing leadership conference with Tim Porter-O’Grady with over 200 nurses in attendance.

Mentoring Leaders

Legislative Advocacy:Acting as a voice for nurse leaders and the rural nurse experience, Rural Connection remains abreast of current legislation that will affect nursing in Idaho and provides education and recommendations and policy makers regarding Idaho nursing issues. Rural Connection strongly advocates for the development and support of Idaho nursing faculty.

voice resources leadership

State & National Recognition:   Through collaboration and a shared vision, Rural Connection provides a collegial environment for rural, urban, and academic partners. This environment has quickly been identified both regionally and nationally as a synergistic organization that is creating innovative and unique projects.

Rural Connection Library: In addition to the expertise that each Member Organization brings to Rural Connection, the organization’s intellectual capital is reinforced through a shared Library, a repository of resources on topics ranging from Nursing Excellence (ANCC Magnet), Rural Nursing, Orientation, Precepting, and Competency Development.

www.ruralconnection.orgWhere can you find out

more?