Programs Encourage Nurses to Pursue Further Education

When Joan Kavanagh, MSN, RN, NEA-BC speaks to new Cleveland Clinic nurses at orientation, the Associate Chief Nursing Officer of Nursing Education and Development begins by stressing the importance of lifelong learning. That’s not just a lofty sentiment. Cleveland Clinic’s Zielony Nursing Institute supports nurses who want to further their education through several initiatives, including a tuition reimbursement program, individual coaching and a preferred network of nursing schools.

All of these efforts align with “The Future of Nursing” report released by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2010, which recommends nurses achieve higher levels of education and training. “Healthcare has become so complex, and the acuity of our patients is off the charts,” says Kavanagh. “If nurses aren’t committed to being lifelong learners, then they can’t deliver extraordinary care.”

Helping nurses advance their education

One of the goals outlined in the IOM report is to increase the proportion of nurses with baccalaureate degrees 80 percent by 2020. Cleveland Clinic is “on the journey to increase BSNs,” says Kavanagh. The healthcare organization changed its job description to say BSN preferred. In addition, job contracts state that RNs have five years to complete their BSN. The Zielony Nursing Institute helps nurses headed back to school – whether for a bachelor’s or graduate degree – in the following ways:

• Tuition Reimbursement Program: The Nursing Institute’s program is managed by EdAssist®. Nurses aren’t just reimbursed for degree programs. They also are reimbursed for successful completion of specialty certifications in a variety of specialties, ranging from pediatrics to geriatric nursing.
• Individual Coaching and Advising: EdAssist, as well as members of Cleveland Clinic’s Office of Nursing Education and Development, counsel nurses. While EdAssist offers educational and financial aid guidance, Kavanagh and her peers help answer nursing-specific questions.
• Preferred Network of Nursing Schools: Cleveland Clinic partners with about a dozen schools that offer tuition discounts and other benefits to the hospital system’s nurses.

One nurse’s journey toward a higher degree

Joy Blough, RN, represents the future of nursing at Cleveland Clinic. Kavanagh recalls meeting the nurse, who works at a family health center approximately 60 miles southwest of Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, several years ago. Blough, who was an LPN at the time, was presenting her winning poster from the healthcare system’s Shared Governance Week to Cleveland Clinic’s Nursing Institute Council (NIC), of which Kavanagh is a member.

“I was taken by her poise and enthusiasm,” recalls Kavanagh. “I thought, ‘Please tell me this young woman is in school!’” Kavanagh chatted with Blough before she left, encouraging the mother of two small children to earn a degree. Then, she took Blough under her wing. “I went on a mission with her to try and find the right school, the right program – something that would fit her lifestyle,” says Kavanagh.

Kavanagh connected Blough with EdAssist for coaching and tuition reimbursement assistance and introduced her to a dean at a local nursing school to review her transcripts. Blough opted to attend Stark State College in North Canton, Ohio, where she earned her associate’s degree in nursing in December. She plans to continue on for her BSN.

“The day that Joan approached me at the NIC meeting empowered me to return to school,” says Blough. “Receiving such high praise from administration helped me realize I am meant to do more than office staff nursing. I’m not sure where my education will ultimately take me, but I’m looking forward to the journey.”

Nurse leaders set example for lifelong learning

Kavanagh believes that nursing leaders have an obligation to ignite a passion for lifelong learning in their staff. “It’s our job to show them how healthcare is changing and what role nurses can play,” she says. “We can’t be on the sidelines: We have to be front and center.”

That means that leaders, too, must pursue educational opportunities. Kelly Hancock, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Executive Chief Nursing Officer at Cleveland Clinic, is enrolled in a doctorate of nursing practice program. “She could not have a more complex job, and she is working toward her DNP,” says Kavanagh. She adds that many other ACNOs and CNOs at Cleveland Clinic’s eight community hospitals also have advanced degrees or are working on them. “They are modeling the way,” says Kavanagh, who is enrolled in a PhD program in nursing education.

The Zielony Institute encourages lifelong learning through informal support, such as Kavanagh provided Blough, and formal programs, including tuition reimbursement, individual coaching and partnerships with local nursing schools. “We are pro education and pro learning,” says Kavanagh. “We support our caregivers at every step.”