Resources

Advancing State Policy through Nurse Leader Influence: Exemplars from a Regional Nursing Organization in New England

Nurse leaders and professional nursing organizations are committed to influencing policy. Understanding how these commitments are actualized can accelerate success, and strategies can be replicated. The Organization of Nurse Leaders – New England (ONL), has strategic commitments and a strong track record of influencing state-level policy. Member input informs the organization’s policy priorities, and engagement in Government Affairs Committee meetings supports learning. Policy and advocacy successes are recognized through member communications and an annual award. This article provides detail about ONL’s approach to policy and advocacy work, its processes for supporting nurse leader influence, and exemplars highlighting policy success in New England.

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Nurses Taking a Stand: A Tool Kit for Addressing Racism in Nursing and Healthcare

This Tool Kit is a resource for nurse leaders to help increase awareness of barriers to an inclusive workplace and provides actionable strategies for overcoming such barriers and addressing biases. It offers guidance for facilitators; curated resources for further learning in the key areas of Systemic Racism, Equity v. Equality, Implicit Bias and Microaggressions, Intersectionality, Trauma-Informed Care, and Inclusivity and Belonging; and recommendations for the path forward and sustaining these efforts over time.

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The Nursing Workforce Report: Challenges and Solutions During the COVID Era

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about disruption and challenges for the nursing and healthcare workforce unmatched at any other point in history. Healthcare organizations across the Northeast are struggling to maintain a nursing workforce that supports safe, effective patient care and an engaging, secure professional environment.

The Organization of Nurse Leaders MA, RI, CT, NH, VT (ONL) convened a Nursing Workforce Think Tank to detail the significant workforce challenges in acute and subacute care settings. This report shares best practices and strategies for nurse recruitment, retention, on-boarding and retaining newly licensed nurses, and data used in organizations to monitor workforce trends.

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Paid Family Medical Leave of Absence: Policy Analysis

Implementation of Paid Family Medical Leave of Absence (PFMLA) laws provide both benefits to employees and challenges for employers. The benefits to workers are clear, and utilization of PFMLA aligns with employee well-being strategies. However, leave of absences increase as more expansive PFMLA policies are implemented. An increase in leaves of absence in turn, creates substantial challenges for employers who struggle to cover work responsibilities while employees are out of work.

ONL developed this report to summarize the state of PFMLA policy in the Northeast as a reference for nurse leaders in the context of a significant nursing shortage. If states are moving toward expanded PFMLA policies, employers must assess the potential impact for their organization and plan accordingly. Leaders should be prepared for an increase in leave taking if expanded PFMLA policies become state law. 

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Taking a Stand: Developing a Nurse's Pledge to Champion Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity

In 2020, ONL worked with the New England Regional Black Nurses Association (NERBNA) to create the Nurse’s Pledge to Champion Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity. This article details the development of the pledge and discusses how the pledge is being used in practice.

Authored by Carol A. Conroy, DNP, RN, FAAN, Sasha DuBois, MSN, RN, Terry Hudson-Jinks, MSN, RN, Cassandra Mombrun, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC, Nadia Raymond, MSN/MHA, RN, Ashley Waddell, PhD, RN, and Amanda Stefancyk Oberlies, PhD, MBA, RN, the article was originally published in the February 2021 issue of AONL's Nurse Leader.

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Supporting New Nurse Transition into Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Opportunities for Academic & Practice Nurse Educator Collaboration

Leading through the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging in so many ways. Care environments are operating differently than they would under normal conditions, and resources, including educational supports, are distributed differently. At the same time, newly graduated nurses are entering practice after experiencing abbreviated clinical rotations during their senior year.

Recognizing the challenges surrounding new nurse entry into practice during the pandemic, ONL and the Massachusetts/Rhode Island League for Nursing (MARILN) co-led a taskforce that developed recommendations for collaborative interventions for academic and practice-based nurse educators.

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Nursing Summit 2020 Report

In January 2020, more than 270 nurses from across our region gathered for ONL's 2nd Annual Nursing Summit. The 2020 Nursing Summit was entitled The Power of Our Stories: Moving from Story to Action to Influence, and focused on engaging clinical nurses and leaders alike in learning how to use stories to advance influence. From the 2019 Nursing Summit and subsequent analysis conducted by ONL, it was evident that nurses in this region consider having a stronger voice in organizational decision-making and improved nurse recognition as priorities for nursing practice. By actively seeking out stories and listening for meaning, stories become a powerful tool for advancing those priorities and developing all nurses as leaders.

We are pleased to share a report describing the work results from the 2020 Nursing Summit. 

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Nursing Summit 2019: Follow-up Survey Report

With a robust amount of data coming from the Nursing Summit 2019, ONL sought to gain further understanding and insight from Nursing Summit participants by conducting an online survey of attendees. The survey included questions about the themes that emerged during the Summit and how participants have implemented what they learned during the Summit in their organizations. 101 participants responded to the survey.

In this report, ONL shares ways in which nurses have made changes, big and small, in their organizations to enhance patient care delivery and the work environment. Many of the changes are focused on amplifying the voice of the nurse and improving the work environment by strengthening professional governance structures and showing appreciation for colleagues.

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Nursing Summit 2019 Report

In January 2019, ONL led ten nursing organizations through a Nursing Summit in central Massachusetts to bring nurses together, hear their concerns and feedback, and enhance trust among nurses. The Nursing Summit focused on engaging clinical nurses, listening, and elevating their voice while also providing an opportunity to celebrate professional nursing and to remind ourselves why we chose nursing and why we decide to stay.

The Summit produced a plethora of ideas and notes, and this output has been analyzed and synthesized into a 16-page report. 

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