(Left to right) School of Nursing Dean Eileen T. Breslin, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, welcomed national nursing leader Linda Burnes Bolton, Dr.P.H., RN, FAAN, to the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, with the help of Nursing Advisory Council member Mary Henrich, J.D., spouse of Health Science Center President William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP.
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With the new health care legislation now passed into law, nurses are an even more important part of the solution to the nation’s health care crisis, national nursing leader Linda Burnes Bolton, Dr.P.H., RN, FAAN, told 350 guests at the Friends of the School of Nursing annual luncheon March 31.

Dr. Bolton is vice president of nursing and chief nursing officer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and vice chair of the Institute of Medicine’s Commission on the Future of Nursing.

The luncheon, sponsored by the Nursing Advisory Council, supports The University of Texas Health Science Center School of Nursing. Funds raised from the luncheon are used to ensure quality health care in San Antonio by promoting nursing in the community, awarding grants to faculty members and supporting scholarships for students and faculty. Funds also are used to establish endowments and for the capital needs of the school.

Local sponsors, donors recognized
Before introducing the speaker, School of Nursing Dean Eileen T. Breslin, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, recognized major sponsors of the event including Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Herrmann, Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Block, the LD Ormsby Charitable Foundation Inc. and Tesoro Companies Inc., as well as Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas Inc., which in February awarded the School of Nursing $3.9 million — the school’s largest gift to date — to begin three new nursing programs and to outfit a new, state-of-the art clinical skills center.

In addition to Karen Herrmann and Donna Block, others who have established endowments include Jane Cheever Powell, Patricia Pliego Stout and Louis Bates Jones. Other major supporters recognized were Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus Patty Hawken, former Gov. Dolph Briscoe and his daughter, Janey Briscoe Marmion, and Louis Beldon.

Attending the luncheon were nursing faculty members (left to right) Dean Eileen T. Breslin, Ph.D., RN, FAAN; Julie Novak, D.N.Sc., RN, CPNP, FAANP; and Gemma Kennedy, Ph.D., RN, FAHA; and Nursing Advisory Council member Dana Terracina, who helped plan the event.

In introducing Bolton, Dean Breslin said, “Never in our history have we been more in need of the care that nurses provide — that human interface between biomedical technology and the person we call a patient. Never before in our history have we so desperately needed the leadership of well-educated, professional nurses, not to work in our health care systems, but to change, improve and redesign those systems so that those we serve have access to safe and high-quality care. Nursing done well — done right — inspires all of us.”

Dr. Bolton, who is a past president of the American Academy of Nursing and the National Black Nurses Association, has provided leadership for several state and national programs including service as chair of the National Advisory Committee for Transforming Care at the Bedside, the Veterans Administration Commission on Nursing and the California Area Health Education Center Health Professions Committee.

Large nursing profession can have profound effect on patient care
“Nursing is the largest health profession in the United States and indeed in the world, and it provides the best opportunity to be able to assist this country in improving the quality of health care,” she said.

Partners key to improving care
Improving outcomes in health care is dependent upon the collaboration of many partners, including government, schools of nursing, nurses and hospital systems, she said.

Easing restrictions on nursing primary care practices
To provide care to the many more people who will soon be eligible for health care when the newly passed health care legislation is fully implemented, Dr. Bolton said the federal government should remove barriers to the delivery of primary care practice by nurses so that more patients can be seen in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Institute nursing residencies
Another major change Dr. Bolton emphasized was the establishment of a one-year nursing residency program to integrate nurses into the profession. New research has shown that residencies significantly reduced the rate that new nurses left the profession, from 28 percent to 4 percent, she said, adding, “It costs $66,000 to replace a nurse.” She challenged hospital systems to invest in nursing residencies to reduce turnover.

Transferring knowledge to the younger workforce
Regarding the national nursing shortage, Dr. Bolton noted that there will be 280,000 unfilled nursing positions by 2012, and by 2015, 50 percent of the current U.S. nursing workforce will be retiring. She urged older nurses to stay in the profession, but suggested they move into positions that are not as physically demanding. “We have to find a way to transfer the knowledge of experienced nurses to the new workforce,” she said.

Interestingly, older nurses staying in the workforce due to the economic downturn resulted in 60 percent of 2009 nursing graduates nationwide to remain unemployed, she said. However, once the economy begins to improve and more patients begin seeking health care when the new health care laws are fully enacted, employers will once again begin filling nursing jobs to stem the nursing shortage.

Becoming stronger advocates for patients
Noting the toll chronic disease is taking on the nation, Dr. Bolton urged nurses to become stronger advocates for their patients. She said, “Before (patients) ask, give them advice about staying active.” She urged nurses to promote good nutrition instead diets and to help establish a team approach to encourage those with chronic diseases to become more successful in adhering to medical advice. “We need good coaches. These could be family members or peer-to-peer mentors. This approach will be much better for patients than finger-pointing when they are not successful,” she said.