Page 6 - 2016 Nursing Annual Report | Summa Health

Transformational
Leadership

Meeting the BSN
challenge

Hospitals with a higher percentage of Registered Nurses (RNs) with a Bachelor
of Science degree in nursing (BSN) or higher nursing degree have better patient
outcomes. A study from the School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania
(Aiken et al., 2011) revealed that hospitals that have a higher percentage of BSN RNs
had decreased mortality rates. In another study (Blegan et al. 2013) it was observed
that with higher proportions of BSN educated RNs hospitals had lower rates of:
Healthcare Acquired Pressure Ulcers (HAPUs); post-operative deep vein thrombosis
and pulmonary embolisms; Length of Stay (LOS); failure to rescue; and CHF mortality.

Next the CNO focused on encouraging LPNs to become
RNs and making them aware of available scholarships.
The CNO met with Stark State College and The University
of Akron to create an innovative program that allowed the
LPNs to obtain an associate degree in nursing and then
to continue for their BSN in one continuous program,
while working full-time. Summa Health would cover all
the costs of the program through the generous donations
from The Women’s Board of Summa Health System.

Juanita Jett, BSN, RN and Henry Smith, BSN, RN A group of LPNs from both inpatient and outpatient
units at Summa Health System – Akron and St. Thomas
With such overwhelming evidence of improved patient Campuses entered Stark State to begin the RN associate
care, the American Nurses Association and the American degree program in the fall of 2013. They entered the
Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet® Recognition University of Akron in summer 2015 for the RN to BSN
Program adopted the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) program and graduated with their BSN in May 2016.
recommendation that all hospitals have at least 80
percent of their RN staff BSN or higher degree prepared Ten nurses finished the program. Tiffany Dillon, BSN, RN,
by 2020. Lanie Ward, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, System Unit Director, 4 South - Acute Care of the Elderly unit,
Senior Vice President/CNO and the Nursing Leadership Summa Health System – Barberton Campus, and Susan
Council met this challenge head on using several Oberholtzer, BSN, RN, who works on 6 West- surgical unit
innovations over the past five years. at the Akron Campus, are two of them.

In 2012 the decision was made by the CNO and the “While the coursework was tough, it helped to have a built
Nursing Leadership Council to change the care delivery in study group. We relied on each other a lot. We were
model in the Critical Care, Telemetry and Medical-Surgical friends before and now we’re very good friends, now
Divisions to an all RN staff due to increased patient acuity we’re all like family,” said Dillon. “We would study in the
and feedback from staff meetings, Nursing Recruitment car, on our breaks, and there was constant conversation
and Retention Council, and Nurse Practice Council about with each other. We would assess patients and then talk
the large number of patients each RN had responsibility about what we learned.”
for in an RN/LPN staffing model.
Both women had the chance to explore other areas of
the hospital during their clinical rotations. “We saw almost
every area of nursing and it really opened our eyes,” said
Oberholtzer. “I’d never spent time in the ED and the same
with ICU.”

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