<p> Tentative local stories for January/February HLMW Regional Coverage Special Section: New Year’s Resolutions!</p><p>This is a special two-page spread at the beginning of Local Beat. The following ST. LOUIS nurses have responded to the question: What are your goals for patient care in 2011? </p><p>• Rebekah Flynn, gyn-oncology, Barnes Jewish Hospital • Charyl Mitchell, patient care team leader, Christian Hospital • Laura Ruffner, cardiac staff nurse, St. Luke’s Hospital • Tyler Adamski, surgical ICU, St. Anthony’s Medical Center</p><p>Additional Local Beat Articles</p><p>‘Most Wired Hospitals’ for 2010 Named The Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking study, conducted annually by Hospitals and Health Networks, has named the “Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems” for 2010. The survey recognizes organizations for their achievements in four focus areas: infrastructure, business and administrative management, clinical quality and safety, and the care continuum. To read a full list of regional winners, visit</p><p>Nurse.com/article/WiredHLMW. McKee Medical Center Installs HUGS System Nurses at McKee Medical Center in Loveland, Colo., rely on security measures to keep patients in the pediatric unit safe. The HUGS security system consists of a monitoring device and bracelets worn by patients 8 and younger as well as by older children in special circumstances. “This is just another way to keep children safe,” said unit nursing director Donlyn Smillie, RN, BSN, NHA. In addition to using HUGS, nurses photograph each pediatric patient and the patient’s parent or caregiver as an added level of security. Colorado Decision Favors Nurse Anesthesists Colorado will opt out of a federal Medicare rule that requires physician supervision in rural hospitals for certified registered nurse anesthetists, Gov. Bill Ritter announced. The decision, applauded by the Colorado Hospital Association, allows CRNAs to practice in rural and critical access hospitals without direct physician supervision under rules developed by each facility in consultation with the medical staff. “By allowing rural and critical access hospitals to determine the anesthesia arrangements that best meet the needs of the individual facilities, communities and the patients they serve, rural hospitals across the state now have the necessary flexibility to continue providing access to safe and affordable healthcare,” said CHA President and CEO Steven Summer. About 15 other states have opted out of the Medicare rule since doing so became an option in 2001. ‘Best Places to Work’ Released for 2010 Modern Healthcare has released its list of the “Best Places to Work in Healthcare” for 2010. The ranked order of the facilities was revealed during an Oct. 18 banquet. To read a full list of regional winners online, visit Nurse.com/article/BestHLMW. Cleveland Clinic Receives 2010 Magnet Honors The American Nurses Credentialing Center named Cleveland Clinic one of two winners of the 2010 Magnet Honors at the National Magnet Conference in Phoenix. The Magnet Honors recognize two organizations with programs in which innovative action transforms nursing practice. The winning entry highlighted the Deans’ Roundtable Faculty Initiative, a partnership in which the Cleveland Clinic Health System, 14 schools of nursing in northeast Ohio and three other healthcare facilities in Northeast Ohio work together to address the threatening nursing shortage. Donation Supports Advanced Practice RNs Tentative local stories for January/February HLMW Regional Coverage Madison-based University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics received a $1,000 donation by Eloquest Healthcare to help fund educational opportunities for advanced practice nurses. “Advanced practice nurses play a crucial and expanding role in caring for our patients in both hospital and clinic settings,” Senior VP for Patient Care Services and CNO Maureen P. McCausland, RN, DNSc, FAAN, said in a news release. “We are very grateful for this gift to support opportunities for their continuing education and development.” St. Luke’s Awarded for ‘Spirit of Women’ Campaign St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield, Mo., received is the recipient of a gold 2010 Aster Award for its “Spirit of Women” TV and website campaign. The winning campaign includes a 30-second commercial featuring four women, St. Luke’s patients, who took action for their health and improved their overall quality of life. “Through St. Luke’s Spirit of Women initiative, we have the incredible opportunity to enable women in our community to improve the quality of their lives and ultimately the lives of their entire families,” said Jan Hess, St. Luke’s Hospital vice president. “Receiving this award is icing on the cake.” Grant Encourages Rural RNs to Continue Schooling The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn., was recently awarded a $1.33 million federal grant to provide graduate education to 56 nursing students during the next five years. The grant, awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, is meant to help RNs earn graduate level nursing education in two years, to support work in rural areas where more primary care is needed. The grant helps RNs with financial barriers further their education and encourages nurses already in rural settings to go back to school. Rasmussen Launches Online RN-to-BSN Program The Rasmussen College School of Nursing has now launched an online RN-to-BSN degree in nursing program. The program features interactive learning taught by seasoned nurse educators with diverse experiences to offer students. Dean of Online Nursing Leila McKinney, RN, BSN, MSN, DNP, says, “As the nursing field continues to grow, so will the opportunities for a nurse with a four year degree, and the Rasmussen College program combines the sound academic qualities of a Rasmussen education and the outstanding nursing program that we are known for.” UW Oshkosh Celebrates 40 Years of Nursing The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s College of Nursing’s 40 years of success and its recent re-accreditation from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing were recognized at a special presentation and reception Oct. 22. At the event, Col. Carolyn Jolitz (BSN ‘84 and MSN ‘94) was presented with the 2010 UW Oshkosh Distinguished Alumni Awards. Jolitz serves as deputy commander for nursing services at the Army medical Activity in Fort Knox, Ky. “Col. Jolitz exemplifies everything our mission and vision stands for,” said Rosemary Smith, RN, APNP, PhD, dean of CON. “She’s a devoted, caring and scholarly leader who impacts the lives of others daily.”</p><p>Kansas City Professor Inducted as AAN Fellow Carol Smith, RN, PhD, professor at the University of Kansas School of Nursing in Kansas City, was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing as one of the 2010 fellows. “Selection for membership in the Academy is one of the most prestigious honors in the field of nursing,” said Karen L. Miller, RN, PhD, FAAN, dean of the KU School of Nursing and senior vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs. “Smith is very deserving of this distinction.” $14M Center to Boost Number of Nebraska RNs The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing opened a new building in Omaha that aims to help alleviate Nebraska’s nursing shortage. The $14 million Center for Nursing Science will keep the college from having to turn away hundreds of qualified nursing students each year, according to a news release. Students will begin classes in the new center in January. A projected shortage of 3,800 RNs in Nebraska is expected by 2020 — with rural areas hit the hardest. Researcher Honored for Work in Oncology Barbara Given, RN, PhD, FAAN, a pioneer in oncology nursing who has received millions of dollars in federal funding during her 44- year tenure with Michigan State University’s College of Nursing, has been selected as the first researcher honored in a new feature in the journal Cancer Nursing. The feature, called Living Legacy, offered Given a chance to reflect on her career, highlighting career benchmarks and passing along key messages to junior researchers. The journal plans on highlighting researchers who have made significant impacts to the field. “It is humbling to be honored,” Given said.</p>