One of the greatest challenges in clinical nursing education is providing an orientation program that meets the needs of critical care nurses with various backgrounds and levels of experience within a relevant and stimulating format. Since the 1990s, a major shift has occurred within the culture of intensive care units (ICUs) to employ, orient, and mentor new graduate nurses. Formerly, after graduation, the standard progression for all critical care nurses was at least 1 year of medical-surgical experience in a general care area. The gradual transition from medical-surgical nursing into the critical care environment that once existed has changed in response to the dwindling supply of nurses in the workforce. Concurrently, the population of patients in ICUs has increased, the severity of illness has increased, and the length of stay has decreased. Critical care educators are challenged to accommodate graduate nurses into ICUs while maintaining competence and ensuring the highest...
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1 December 2007
Special Features|
December 01 2007
Designing a Comprehensive Model for Critical Care Orientation
Linda L. Morris, PhD, APN, CCNS;
Linda L. Morris, PhD, APN, CCNS
Linda L. Morris is the clinical nurse specialist for respiratory care at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology for the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
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Pamela B. Pfeifer, RN, MS, CCNS;
Pamela B. Pfeifer, RN, MS, CCNS
Pamela B. Pfeifer has held several clinical and management positions, including staff nurse, assistant nurse manager, advanced practice nurse, and program director for the Critical Care Institute (formerly education consultant). She is currently the interim manager with the Northwestern Memorial Academy.
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Rene Catalano, RN, MS;
Rene Catalano, RN, MS
Rene Catalano, with 11 years of experience in the development and implementation of education programs, is the staff educator in the coronary care unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
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Robert Fortney, RN, MS, CNRN;
Robert Fortney, RN, MS, CNRN
Robert Fortney is the director of neurosciences nursing at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. As the former nurse manager of the neuro spine intensive care unit, he recently expanded the unit from 12 beds to 23 beds and was intimately involved with the new orientation program for training all the newly hired nurses.
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Edith L. Hilton, DSN, PhD, APRN, BC;
Edith L. Hilton, DSN, PhD, APRN, BC
Edith L. Hilton was an advanced practice nurse in the neurosciences at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She has an extensive clinical background in the neurosciences and rehabilitation; her research interests are chronic illness and disability.
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Julia McLaughlin, RN, BSN, CCRN;
Julia McLaughlin, RN, BSN, CCRN
Julia McLaughlin was a staff educator in the medical intensive care unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and began DePaul-Evanston’s nurse anesthetist program in the fall of 2006.
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Greta Nelson, RN, MS, CNA, BC;
Greta Nelson, RN, MS, CNA, BC
Greta Nelson is the program administrator of home hospice at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the former nurse manager of the medical intensive care unit. With 25 years of nursing practice, she has an extensive background in critical care and management, including experience as an educator, a manager, a director, and a consultant in healthcare.
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Janet Palamone, RN, MSN, APRN, BC, CCRN, CNRN;
Janet Palamone, RN, MSN, APRN, BC, CCRN, CNRN
Janet Palamone is a staff educator in the neuro spine intensive care unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital with 18 years of experience in critical care.
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Robb Rabito, BA;
Robb Rabito, BA
Robb Rabito is a senior project coordinator at the American College of Chest Physicians in Northbrook, Illinois. He has worked in education administration for 8 years.
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Rebecca Wetzel, RN, BSN;
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Rebecca Wetzel, RN, BSN
Rebecca Wetzel is currently the staff educator in the cardiac transplant unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which expanded from 11 to 23 beds, incorporating transplantation of solid organs.
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Lindsay Goldstein, RN, BSN
Lindsay Goldstein, RN, BSN
Lindsay Goldstein is a staff nurse in the neurosurgical intensive care unit at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and a graduate student in the nurse practitioner program at Rush University College of Nursing.
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Crit Care Nurse (2007) 27 (6): 37–60.
Citation
Linda L. Morris, Pamela B. Pfeifer, Rene Catalano, Robert Fortney, Edith L. Hilton, Julia McLaughlin, Greta Nelson, Janet Palamone, Robb Rabito, Rebecca Wetzel, Lindsay Goldstein; Designing a Comprehensive Model for Critical Care Orientation. Crit Care Nurse 1 December 2007; 27 (6): 37–60. doi: https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2007.27.6.37
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