Minnesota nursing collaboration earns national recognition

An exemplary partnership between the University of Minnesota School of Nursing and Fairview Health Services/University of Minnesota Health system was recognized in Washington DC this week by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing for its national leadership and innovation. 

The 2017 Exemplary Academic-Practice Partnership Award honors partnering institutions that model highly productive and creative academic and clinical collaboration. 

The University of Minnesota School of Nursing and Fairview Health Services/University of Minnesota Health formed Nursing Collaboratory in 2013 to serve as a forum for developing and attaining common goals for nursing education, research and patient care. The initiative engages students, faculty and staff from all organizations in the generation and implementation of new ideas, discoveries and models of care.

Several specific initiatives stemming from the initiative:

Developed an integrated leadership structure that fosters shared problem-solving
Created of a joint nurse scientist position, affiliate faculty positions and cross integration of leadership councils
Created and implemented a system-wide professional practice model for nursing
Supported for new models of care to include nurse-run clinics
Facilitating seamless transition of graduates to practice by streamlining access to clinical training sites and identifying relevant scholarly projects for students
Co-creating professional development opportunities, including care coordination, patient safety, and innovation of new products and services to improve health
”We have deep gratitude for what we have been able to accomplish by maximizing the relationships, creating time for our leadership team to identify our common goals and applying our diverse resources and perspectives to transcend challenges,” said Connie White Delaney, Dean at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing.

“This award represents the energy, passion and excellence in our partnership with the School of Nursing and University of Minnesota,” said Laura Reed, Chief Nurse Executive with Fairview Health Services. “I have no doubt that collectively we will be transforming nursing education and practice through our ongoing relationship and commitment to action.”

Learn more about the Exemplary Academic-Practice Partnership Award on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing website.