Methodist nurses to take part in prestigious Nursing Workforce Solutions program

Methodist Health System’s four hospitals have been selected to participate in the prestigious Nursing Workforce Solutions program.

The 18-month program aims to equip frontline nursing innovators with skills to improve nurse satisfaction and retention, work environments, and patient outcomes. It is a partnership between Johnson & Johnson and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ (AACN) Clinical Scene Investigator (CSI) Academy.

Six nursing teams – each made up of three to four direct-care nurses – will make up Methodist’s cohort, with four teams from Methodist Hospital and Methodist Women’s Hospital, one team from Methodist Fremont Health and one team from Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital. The teams will participate in in-person and virtual workshops designed around leadership principles, quality management tools and implementation science – identifying and removing barriers that can keep nurses from achieving success. Curriculum topics include leadership, teamwork, workplace innovation, healthy work environment standards, data collection and analysis, and strategic communication. Additionally, the program focuses on empowering participants to launch and lead impactful programs throughout Methodist Health System.

“This is an outstanding opportunity to provide valuable skills to our frontline nursing innovators,” said Crystal Smith, DNP, RN, NE-BC, service executive for Patient Care Administration at Methodist Hospital. “And with Nursing Workforce Solutions’ train-the-trainer approach, the impact will keep growing long after the program ends.”

Methodist’s cohort is the first in Nebraska and Iowa to be selected for Nursing Workforce Solutions. It was chosen based on an application that included proposed projects that could significantly impact nurses. Methodist’s participating nurses will be instructed by two experienced AACN CSI faculty members.

“This is truly an investment in the future of our nursing staff, with goals to identify ways to decrease their day-to-day burden, increase their job satisfaction and keep the very best talent here at Methodist,” Smith said.