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Biomedical subjects

Betty Rambur

Publications and source records attributed to Betty Rambur.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Education as a determinant of career retention and job satisfaction among registered nurses.

PURPOSE: To compare job satisfaction and career retention in two cohorts of RNs, those whose highest degrees were the associate degree (AD) or the bachelor's degree (BS) in nursing. DESIGN: Survey. METHODS: Instruments included a career satisfaction scale and questions based on the ongoing U.S. Health and Retirement Survey. Three-thousand nurses in the U.S. state of Vermont were surveyed with a resulting response rate of 56.7%. Of these respondents, 878 RNs fit the study criteria. FINDINGS: BS RNs started their nursing careers earlier, were employed longer, had held more positions, and in the largest age cohort (age 40-54), were more likely to have been in their current positions at least 10 years. BS RNs scored significantly higher in job satisfaction related to: (a) opportunity for autonomy and growth, (b) job stress and physical demands, and (c) job and organizational security. AD and BS nurses were not significantly different in their satisfaction with supervision; career, continuing education, and promotion opportunities; or pay and benefits. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate support of bachelor's level education for individual and social return on investment, and they show that AD education might have unintended consequences. Implications for the nursing shortage and educational policy are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Measuring the nursing workforce: clarifying the definitions.

Numerous articles have addressed the causes and implications of the current nursing shortage. Little has been published, however, about how to measure the nursing workforce. This article presents (1) a review of definitions for common workforce indicators such as vacancy and turnoverrates and the relationship between these indicators and the need for nurses,(2) a review of the calculation of vacancy and turnoverrates in several statewide and national surveys, and (3) the results from the development and pilot test of a health care workforce survey for use in Vermont. The review indicates that in practice, no standard method is used despite attempts to standardize the calculation of vacancy and turnover rates. The Vermont pilot study results demonstrate that a richer profile of the health workforce can be obtained by using both standard workforce measures and more subjective questions to assess a statewide need for nurses.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2003

Combating the nursing shortage. Vermont's call to action.

This article describes the centrality of the nursing leadership role in Vermont's statewide efforts to combat the nursing shortage, particularly the establishment of a Blue-Ribbon Commission and an Office of Nursing Workforce Research, Planning, and Development. Recommendations by the Blue-Ribbon Commission along with its progress to date are presented. The role of the Office of Nursing Workforce Research, Planning, and Development is described in accomplishing the recommendations of the Blue-Ribbon Commission. These efforts have been cumulative, characterized by innovation and unprecedented collaboration between stakeholders representing nursing, public health, health care administration, education, and the political and private sectors. Lessons for replication are underscored.

Fellowships and Scholarships↗
PubMed2002

Pregnancy rhinitis and rhinitis medicamentosa.

PURPOSE: To present guidelines for the recognition, management, and referral of pregnancy rhinitis with a goal of improving the quality of the pregnancy experience for women afflicted with this condition. DATA SOURCES: A case study illustrating the presentation of a severe case of pregnancy rhinitis is followed a literature review of etiology, diagnosis, and management strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy rhinitis is a condition of clinical importance that is frequently exacerbated by use of intranasal decongestant sprays. The resulting rhinitis medicamentosa exacerbates the nasal obstruction, with resulting sleep disruptions that negatively impact the experience of pregnancy. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nurse practitioners may miss opportunities to provide support, anticipatory guidance, and symptom relief. Anticipatory guidance that stresses the critical necessity of avoiding nasal spray decongestants, environmental modification, use of intranasal saline, moderate exercise, and nasal strips for subjective relief may have the potential to markedly decrease escalation of the condition to a serious disorder.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Recruiting knowledge, not just nurses.

The importance of the definition of nurse as a "knowledge worker" and the utility of knowledge as a recruitment policy for building a strong nursing workforce are discussed. The method used is the implementation of a statewide merit-based scholarship program targeting academically excellent students. At the University of Vermont, which educates roughly half of the state's nursing students, applications to the College of Nursing are up 83 percent, and entering class size is up 92 percent. Most significantly, Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores have improved 4 percent, reversing an 8-year trend. In conclusion, merit scholarships are an effective means of building intellectual capacity and attracting academically stronger candidates to the nursing profession.

Education, Nursing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Middle school students' perceptions of an ideal career and a career in nursing.

Many strategies are currently needed to address a profound nursing shortage that is threatening health care quality. One strategy is to increase the interest of youth in the profession of nursing. Middle school students' perception of nursing offers important clues toward successful recruitment of the next generation of nurses. The focus of this exploratory study was to compare a convenience sample of 301 male and female middle school students' perceptions of an ideal career versus a career in nursing. A post hoc analysis of variations by gender was also done. Perceptions of nursing and the ideal career were measured with an instrument developed by May, Champion, and Austin (1991), which has been assessed for reliability and validity in previous studies. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially, by using paired t tests and Bonferroni adjustments to control for multicolinearity. The respondents voiced statistically significant differences between nursing and the ideal career in key variables related to autonomy, respect, compensation, and "busyness." When comparing boys with girls, however, there was more congruence between boys' perception of nursing and ideal career than girls'. Implications for the development of timely and effective nursing recruitment campaigns targeting middle school students are offered.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The volunteer potential of inactive nurses for disaster preparedness.

OBJECTIVES: Inactive nurses' interest in volunteering for emergency preparedness was examined. METHODS: A mail survey was sent to the entire Vermont Board of Nursing list of in-state inactive and lapsed registered nurses (n = 3,682). A high rate of undeliverable surveys (60%) was found and 611 surveys were returned for a 20% response rate. RESULTS: Twenty-seven percent of the respondents were interested in volunteering. Those interested in participating in volunteer work as part of a national homeland security effort were significantly more likely to (a) be younger in age (p < 0.0001); (b) identify themselves as "being a nurse" (p = 0.001); (c) be employed versus retired (p = 0.002); and (d) be currently volunteers (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Because 33% of the nation's nurses are over age 50, inactive nurses offer a potentially large pool of volunteers for emergency preparedness training and response in the years to come.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Does a 'shadow workforce' of inactive nurses exist?

The entire population of inactive nurses in Vermont was surveyed to determine if a "shadow workforce" exists. The notion that large numbers of nurses are available to return to work is not supported by this study. Desirable benefits for those wishing to return are discussed.

Adult↗