 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
|
| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Judith R Baker, MHSA, Federal Hemophilia Program/Region IX, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd., Box 54, Los Angeles, CA 90027, Robina E. Ingram Rich, RN, MS, MPH, Federal Hemophilia Program/Region X, Oregon Health Sciences University, 707 SW Gaines Road, Portland, OR 97201, 503 494 2715, ingram3@ohsu.edu, and Brenda Riske, MS, MBA, MPA, Federal Hemophilia Program/Region VIII, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, PO Box 6507, Mail Stop F-416, Aurora, CO 80045.
Problem: Hemophilia is a rare inherited bleeding disorder which, if untreated, results in internal bleeding that can cause chronic pain, joint damage, and premature death. Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, affecting 1 – 2% of all persons, but it is vastly under recognized. Before 1990, hemophilia and VWD medications transmitted HIV and hepatitis. Nurses with expertise in coagulopathy are geographically isolated. How to maintain their competencies?
Purpose: To describe the development and impact of a unique tri-regional advance practice seminar for the western U.S. federal regions.
Method: Starting 1994, Coordinators of HHS Regions VIII, IX and X created and conducted a near annual seminar for the 80 Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) nurses. Funding was obtained from the CDC, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau and private foundations. The seminar’s unique characteristics include lack of pharmaceutical industry sponsorship, non-market driven invitation and content, small group interaction, involvement of other multidisciplinary HTC team members, and interaction with State Health Department Title V leaders.
Findings: Over 95% of the HTC nurses attended each of the six seminars. Pre and posttest evaluations reveal improvements in clinical knowledge. Formal evaluations consistently rate these as the most highly valued advance practice clinical education seminar available for U.S.HTC nurses.
Conclusion: The tri-regional seminar is a cost effective intervention for strengthening the clinical skills of isolated nurse specialists in coagulopathy diagnosis and management. This intervention could be used to increase nurse competencies in the care of persons with other rare disorders.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Nursing Education, Partnerships
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.