Striving to Thrive;

Reviving Passion and Purpose with 

a Work Life Blend

December 7, 2022 at the Signature Grand  

in Davie, FL and via live webcast

Join us as the Nursing Consortium of Florida shines a spotlight on the path forward towards what's next for nursing; better outcomes and resilience through higher professional and personal satisfaction. Don't miss this program showcasing national and regional best practices for rebooting the workplace to attract and embrace new talent, and drive ever better care by focusing on the needs of the patient and the caregiver. Learn how nurse teams are being reconfigured to enable more teaching, learning, and bonding, and how leadership roles and teams are evolving for greater resilience. The program will open and close with presentations by a nationally acclaimed nurse leader who will inform and inspire, and the program will also feature three panel presentations by area nurse leaders from practice and academic settings who are adopting Nursing Consortium of Florida strategies for building what's next for nursing.  Don't miss what is certain to be a truly exceptional educational conference and networking opportunity.  Register today! To register online today and save, please click here.

Call for Poster Abstracts 

Poster abstracts are being accepted through the 23rd of September for the upcoming Consortium conference Striving to Thrive; Reviving Passion and Purpose with a Work Life Blend.  Please click here to make your submission today. Programs, research, scholarly projects, and process improvement exemplars addressing the psychological, environmental, physical, and emotional challenges related to the conference theme are of particular interest.

More than 400 attend Consortium Spring  Conference "Building What’s Next for Nursing"

NCOF announces top five poster winners from Spring Conference

Attendees at the Nursing Consortium of Florida 's Spring Conference selected five posters as the conference's best.  The top five winners are: Michele Diaz, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, Specialty Educator HCA East Florida Division. Poster theme: Simulation Based Skills Education to Promote Nurse Engagement; Luvencia Connor, EdD, MSN, RN, Division Specialty Educator Women's and Children's HCA East Florida Division. Poster theme: An Educational Intervention to Strengthen and Support Novice Nurses; MiRit Wartell Samuels, MSN MHA CCRN, Director of Nursing, Memorial Hospital Pembroke. Poster theme: Standardized Leadership Welcome; Simone Cheong, MSHSA, MSN, RN, CMS, Magnet Director, West Kendall Baptist Hospital. Poster theme: Sunflower Award: CNO Organizational Influence Beyond Nursing; Marisel Perigo Pineda, BSN, RN, CEN, Patient Care Manager, West Kendall Baptist Hospital. Poster theme: Shared Governance: Growing Next Generation Nurse Leader. Each of the winners received an Awards packet containing a Certificate of Recognition for their contribution to the success of the conference, a copy of the book “Inspired Nurse” by Rich Bluni, and a complimentary registration to attend the Consortium’s next conference which will take place in the Fall of 2022.

New Individual Memberships to keep retiring leaders engaged

"There are numerous nurse leaders that, though retired, wish to contribute to Consortium committee work, and I am pleased that our Board has approved an Individual Member category to facilitate their continued engagement,” remarked Consortium president Maria Suarez.  Those wishing to learn more about the new membership category should click here.  Despite this change, the Consortium will continue to predominately be an organizational member driven organization.  "Membership at the organizational level has facilitated close relationships with executive nurse leaders and provided opportunities for all member entity nurse employees to engage as committee members and influence Consortium programming," noted Consortium executive director Ralph Egües, "That isn't changing, but we do want to also facilitate engagement by retired nurse leaders that want to continue advancing the nursing profession in Florida." 

Barry University partners with Landed to help employees buy homes

With home prices surging, Consortium member Barry University has announced an important step it is taking to support employees on their path to home ownership in the Sunshine State. The University will bring new resources to employees through a partnership with Landed, a personal finance company aimed at helping essential employees afford to buy homes. The partnership, the first of its kind in Florida for Landed, will give Barry faculty and staff access to up to $120,000 for a down payment, along with other helpful home-buying resources. “As the cost of housing continues to rise, we heard our faculty and staff when they asked for innovative employer support in securing housing,” said Jennifer Boyd-Pugh, Barry’s Vice President for University Administration. “We believe Landed will be a valuable solution to help make home ownership more accessible and ensure our world class faculty and staff continue to share their talents and expertise with our students.” Please click here to read more.

Nurses participate in roundtable on helping elderly use public transportation

The Consortium's Community Engagement  committee recently helped include two nurses in a series of community leader dialogues on transportation in Miami-Dade. These virtual discussions were part of an AARP and Rail Volution pilot project for the county that focuses on the connection and role transportation has on creating vibrant and equitable communities. The participating nurse leaders were: Kylie Rowlands Perez, RN, CNM, MSN, SANE-A, Assistant VP of Women’s Services at Mount Sinai Medical Center; and Suzanne Rodriguez, MSN, BSN, Director Case Management at West Kendall Baptist Hospital.  

Both nurses participated in a virtual MOVE Roundtable discussions held over a 6-week  period seeking to answer "How can we help older adults in Miami-Dade County use more public transportation?"  Getting input from the nursing profession on this topic is vital as nurses can share more than their own experiences.  They have a unique understanding of the multiple needs of the community because they are exposed to multiple patients and their families.

    Kylie Rowlands-Perez says, “Having access to healthcare should not be restricted because of a person’s inability to get to where they need to go. Improving transport services will provide the elderly with the extra resource to travel to the places that provide them with care. Adequate transportation services also promotes a sense of independence that seniors feel when they can get care without needing to rely on help from family, friends or outside resources. In addition to being a means to healthcare appointments, public transportation can facilitate access to events, shopping destinations and parks promoting mental, physical and emotional well being.” One key to achieving this she suggests is a system that is uniformed across the entire county, one that goes to places that make sense and are not limited to a small area…a model that is easy to access, easy to use and makes sense to the majority. As a nurse, her priority for Miami Dade transportation improvements is, “Ensuring that the community can get to medical appoints and have access to health care. I don’t want transport to be a restriction on elderly or others to getting the quality care they deserve.”

    Suzanne Rodriguez shared that “The issue with elderly is that they often do not see their own limitations or do not want to admit them to others. How to engage them in transportation assistance is a challenge.” Among the key solutions she says is “Public relations-- Getting the word out on what is available for elderly and indigent and how to access these services. She points out that the elderly may have difficulty completing an online application or accessing transit without a smart phone. Getting to main thoroughfares where bus stops exist can be difficult for the elderly too. Persons with SNAP benefits should have free transport.   She says, “Why not partner with healthcare agencies such as hospitals to expand the access to this benefit?”  She notes that transportation is the number one reason people say they missed their doctors/healthcare appointment and that outpatient care is important to keep people healthy at home.

    Both nurse leaders provided useful input through the project which will inform community leaders seeking to improve transportation equity generally and utilization by older adults in particular. 

We Are Health Care:  Personal stories of nurses on the front lines

For the past two years, the dedicated women and men of America’s hospitals and health systems have experienced firsthand the overwhelming impact of COVID-19. They have worked tirelessly and courageously day in and day out to care for patients in their communities. These caregivers have taken on unimaginable challenges and have risen to the occasion repeatedly. As part of a new American Hospital Association video series, “We Are Health Care,” nurses on the front lines share their stories from the pandemic and why they went into health care and the nursing profession. Please click here to to view these brief personal stories and see the pandemic from their perspective.

McKinsey assesses the lingering impact of COVID-19 on the nursing workforce

In the years before COVID-19, the United States’ healthcare sector had created a steady pipeline for those seeking to become registered nurses and licensed practical nurses For example, prior to the pandemic, the number of new nursing licenses continued to grow at around 4 percent per year, infusing additional talent into the workforce to replace talent that retired. Now, a report from McKinsey & Company says COVID-19 has altered that pattern as many US nurses change their career plans. Over the past two years, a survey by McKinsey has found that nurses consistently, and increasingly, report planning to leave the workforce at higher rates compared with the past decade. In the latest McKinsey survey, 29 percent of responding RNs in the United States indicated they were likely to leave their current role in direct patient care, with many respondents noting their intent to leave the workforce entirely. Even as COVID-19 cases fluctuate, US healthcare providers are still experiencing the workforce and operational challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. Patient demand is expected to rise, given the growing and aging population of the United States. Without addressing this potentially wider divide between patient demand and the clinical workforce, with a specific focus on nurses, the US health sector could face substantial repercussions. For example, as of February 2022, 90 percent of McKinsey COVID-19 Hospital Insights Survey respondents said workforce shortages were a barrier to increasing elective surgery volume, up 11 percentage points from July 2021. If no actions are taken, there will likely be more patients in the United States who will need care than nurses available to deliver it. Please click here to read more. 

Miami Cancer Institute pharmacy team receives 2022 Warren E. Weaver/Richard P. Penna award

The Board of Pharmacy Specialties has honored the pharmacy team at Consortium member Miami Cancer Institute with its prestigious 2022 Warren E. Weaver/Richard P. Penna Award. The award recognizes individuals and patient care organizations for advancing health quality and patient care. Dr. Madeline Camejo, chief pharmacy officer at Baptist Health South Florida said, “We are thrilled to receive the Weaver/Penna Award in recognition of the Miami Cancer Institute pharmacy team’s diligent commitment to the profession and our patients.  Our pharmacy team has a wealth of experience that is critical to the Institute’s day-to-day activities. Additionally, the team has the drive to maintain a certification that encourages the long-term development of evidence-based practices.” The oncology pharmacy team at Miami Cancer Institute, led by Jorge J. García, PharmD, Assistant Vice President of System Oncology Pharmacy Services, has 32 board-certified pharmacists, 10 of whom are dual certified, according to Dr. Camejo. The pharmacists, she says, are fully integrated into the care of each and every patient at the Institute. Please click here to read more.

McKinsey global survey finds effects of COVID-19 on nursing workforce may be leveling off internationally

A new survey by McKinsey & Company explores the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nursing workforce around the world. The survey asked frontline nurses in various countries if they want to stay in their current role. Between 28 and 38 percent of nurse respondents in the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, and France indicated they were likely to leave their current role in direct patient care in the next year. While some surveyed nurses said they plan to leave direct patient care, the effects of COVID-19 on the nursing workforce may be leveling off. The reasons for leaving vary. In some countries, more than half of respondents said their decision to leave was not directly related to the pandemic. Yet responses may reflect some weariness with direct patient care—in the United States, for example, surveyed nurses who said they anticipate leaving their direct-patient-care roles increased by about ten percentage points between February 2021 and November 2021. While compensation and a view of total monetary rewards remain important for nurse respondents who plan to stay in their jobs, those respondents also cited reasons that go beyond salary: factors such as feeling engaged by work, doing meaningful work, and maintaining good health were the top drivers in surveyed nurses’ decisions to stay. Please click here to read more.

Cross Country joins with National Black Nurses Association to establish nursing scholarship fund

Baptist Health SF first to use new SafeCross device for coronary intervention programs in Florida

A report from the American College of Healthcare Executives says 16% of hospital CEOs throughout the nation have left their jobs, a turnover rate that is consistent with 2020. The 2021 turnover rate reflects 4,378 nonfederal short-term, general medical and surgical hospitals. It compares to 16% in 2020, representing 4,399 hospitals, and 17% in 2019, reflecting 4,438 hospitals. The last time the national rate was lower than 16% was in 2008, when it was 14%. Deborah J. Bowen, FACHE, CAE, ACHE's president/CEO commented, “While continuing to address immediate patient needs, healthcare leaders have long been looking beyond the pandemic to position their organizations for the future. This includes succession planning and a focus on developing a pipeline of leaders equipped to address the challenges of tomorrow.” Among the areas with highest turnover rates, Florida ranked 4th with 28%; Wyoming and Rhode Island were 2nd and 3rd third with both at 33%; and Puerto Rico the highest with 50%. Please click here to read more.

UM Miller School experts shed light on threat of monkeypox

In recent weeks cases of the monkeypox virus have started spreading across the globe. The World Health Organization reported 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases of the rare virus in 12 countries, with the majority clustered in Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Canada also reported a handful of cases. In the USA a Massachusetts man was the latest confirmed case and recently a few suspected cased were found in Broward County. In light of these events, two infectious disease experts at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine,  Dr. Maria Luisa Alcaide and Professor Mario Stevenson, shared what they know about the monkeypox virus. Please click here to read more about the experts comments.

KaufmanHall reports reliance on contract labor is driving expenses up and profit margins down

HHS applauds Florida and other states for expanding 12-months postpartum

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has approved Florida, California, Kentucky, and Oregon actions to expand Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage to 12 months postpartum. The expansion will provide for a total of an additional 126,000 families across their states, annually. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra commented, “The first year after giving birth is a critical period—and families deserve the peace of mind knowing they will be able to access the health care coverage they need, without interruption. Today, more than 126,000 additional families will benefit from states extending Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program… This is a significant step forward in our efforts to improve maternal health and equity across the country.” Please click here to read more.

Survey sheds light on why nurses consider leaving, as well as what might make them stay

That is an increase of ten percentage points in under ten months. To help meet this widespread staffing shortage and retain frontline clinicians, healthcare leaders are designing and deploying strategies focused on supporting their workforce. In this report McKinsey shares several insights to help stakeholders shape their approaches, under two key guidelines for healthcare organizations to consider over the medium to longer term: 

1. Identifying opportunities for workforce retention strategies to be more directly tailored to employee needs and preferences, including more personalized programs and support.
2. Minimizing workload strains, where possible, which will require innovation but provide much needed relief.

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