This week, May 6-12, is National Nurses Week. University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has over 1,5000 professional nurses on staff. Ann Williamson, PhD, RN, CNAA, BC. associate vice president for nursing, UI Health Care, and the chief nursing officer at UI Hospitals and Clinics, talks about the role nurses play at UI Hospitals and Clinics:

How critical is nursing care in the day-to-day events of a facility like University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics?

At our hospital, nurses play an integral role in the care of patients. They are highly skilled, well educated, and dedicated to providing patient-focused and family-centered care. I'm very proud of all of our nurses.

What are some of the many roles of nursing at UI Hospitals and Clinics?

Our nurses provide care at the bedside, they conduct research that helps determine our evidence-based standards of care, they also educate patients and families and other home caregivers; as well as teach other nurses and health care professionals in the hospital. They also are engaged in bringing up the next generation of nurses in training nursing students from the UI College of Nursing, as well as other schools of nursing in the community.

UI Hospitals and Clinics was the first hospital in Iowa to achieve Magnet nursing status. Where does the Magnet status renewal stand?

In March, we submitted more than 1,500 pages of documentation to the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The documents were accepted without provision. Next, we will have a site visit. Roughly four appraisers will come between June 11 and 13 to verify and clarify the information that was submitted in our re-designation documents.

What does having Magnet status say about UI Hospitals and Clinics?

When a hospital receives the Magnet award, it means that our nursing care is exemplary—top notch. It also means our nursing department is organized in such a way that our nurses have autonomy, are valued partners in determining patient care practices, and are given opportunities unmatched by other hospitals who are not Magnet. This is great news for our staff and for the people of Iowa and around the country who come to our hospital for care.

Iowa also has the One Hundred Great Iowa Nurses campaign. Are any UI nurses in the 100 selected this year? Is that also a testament to your nursing staff?

Yes, I'm proud to say that seven nurses from our hospital have been recognized as being among the very best in Iowa this year.

Will there be any special events planned for UI nurses this week?

As always, we will have several events and activities scheduled during Nurses Week. Some are education and some are just plain fun. We will spend time recognizing and thanking our nurses for their tremendous service to our hospital, and on Monday, May 12, the last day of Nurses Week (which is also Florence Nightingale's birthday), we will have displays in the Pappajohn Pavilion Lobby featuring our nursing services. Also that day, we will unveil our Magnet Quilt that was created by the Department of Nursing and dozens of other hospital department personnel who are our very special partners. The quilt has 109 squares and eventually will be mounted for the public to see. More than 600 faculty and staff members stitched this beautiful quilt.

As students consider a possible career in nursing, what advice would you offer to guide them in their decisions about nursing as a career path?

I can speak from personal experience that a career in nursing offers so many possibilities for men and women throughout their lives and their changing careers. Nurses can do many, many things and their career can be as varied as they wish. It's a wonderful profession.

If someone was interested in learning more about joining the team of nurses at UI Hospitals and Clinics, is there a phone number or Web site the, could go to for more information?

Yes, please go to the Nursing Services and Patient Care web site www.uihealthcare.com/nursing to learn more about our incredible institution and our incredible staff.

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Ann Williamson, PhD, RN, CNAA, BC

Magnet

100 Great Iowa Nurses

Nursing Services and Patient Care