Practice resource network.

QI have a few questions related to CCRN renewal using the Synergy Model. I've reviewed the Renewal QwikTips for referencing the categories. Since staff members in my hospital will generally ask my opinion on some of the topics, I would like to make sure I am providing them with the correct responses. Some of the topics that seem to border on both Category A and Category B are:

* Uncovering Abuse of the Pregnant Woman

* Elder Abuse: Mistreatment of Older Americans on the Rise

* Nurses, Women and Cardiac Disease

* Hospice Care: Right Patient, Right Time, Right Place

* Document It Right--Would Your Charting Stand Up in Court?

Aas you know, the AACN Certification Corporation is transitioning Renewal by CERPs (Categories A and B) to Renewal by Synergy CERPs (Categories A, B and C).

Here are a few guidelines to use for reference when determining the correct category for your CCRN or PCCN renewal continuing education. Remember, you may count some activities toward your renewal CERPs (these are designated by an asterisk *)

Category A

Clinical Judgment: Clinical reasoning, which includes clinical decision-making, critical thinking and a global grasp of the situation, coupled with nursing skills acquired through a process of integrating education, experiential knowledge and evidence-based guidelines. Examples include:

* ABG interpretation

* BLS, ACLS, PALS

* Clinical implications of bioterrorism

* Hemodynamic monitoring 

* Nursing diagnosis

* Pharmacology (including pain management)

* ** CCRN and PCCN self assessment exams (SAEs) Clinical Inquiry (innovator/evaluator): The ongoing process of questioning and evaluating practice and providing informed practice; creating changes through evidence- based practice, research utilization and experiential knowledge. Examples include:

* Clinical research articles

* Research process

* Evidence-based practice articles

* ** Performing audits or prevalence studies * ** Publishing and editing articles * ** Performing a QI project * ** Developing a practice protocol

Category B

Advocacy/Moral Agency: Working on another's behalf and representing the concerns of the patient/family and nursing staff; serving as a moral agent in identifying and helping to resolve ethical and clinical concerns within and outside the clinical setting. Examples include:

* Legal aspects of nursing practice

* Public policy

* Advance directives

* Patient rights

* Informed consent

* Sexual harassment training

* ** Participating on an ethics committee 

Caring Practices: Nursing activities that create a compassionate, supportive and therapeutic environment for patients and staff with the aim of promoting comfort and healing and preventing unnecessary suffering. These caring behaviors include, but are not limited to, vigilance, engagement and responsiveness of caregivers. Caregivers include family and other healthcare personnel. Examples include:

* Comfort measures

* Stress management

* Grief and loss

* Patient safety (e.g., fall prevention, infection control practices)

* Palliative care 

* Pet therapy

* ** Critical incident debriefing 

Response to Diversity: The sensitivity to recognize, appreciate and incorporate differences into the provision of care. Differences may include, but are not limited to, individuality, cultural, spiritual, gender, race, ethnicity, lifestyle, socioeconomic, age and values. Examples include:

* Medical Spanish or sign language classes

* Age-appropriate interventions

* Spiritual considerations of the dying patient

* Nutrition for the aging population

* Health disparities

* Cultural aspects of organ donation

* ** Translating documents for patient care/teaching

Facilitation of Learning (patient/family educator): The ability to facilitate learning for patients/families, nursing staff, other members of the healthcare team, and the community. Includes both formal and informal facilitation. Examples include:

* Selecting effective teaching strategies

* Conducting a needs assessment

* Education evaluation methodology

* Preceptor methods

* ** Participating in a health fair

* ** Teaching courses/inservices/programs

* ** Serving as a preceptor/mentor

Category C

Collaboration: Working with others (e.g., patients, families, healthcare providers) in a way that promotes and encourages each person's contributions toward achieving optimal or realistic goals. Collaboration involves intra- and interdisciplinary work with colleagues and the community. Examples include:

* How to work on teams

* Communication skills (e.g., crucial conversations, negotiation)

* Dealing with difficult people

* Assessing performance

* ** Participating on a nursing team or interdisciplinary hospital committee or project * ** National nursing organization membership and participation

Systems Thinking: The body of knowledge and tools that allow the nurse to manage whatever environmental and system resources that exist for the patient/family and staff, within or across healthcare and non-healthcare systems. Examples include:

* Healthy work environments

* Management skills

* Risk management

* Disaster planning

* Case management

* ** Designing new systems, forms, policies or procedures

* ** Leading a case conference

So, let's go back to your specific articles and categorize them according to the Synergy Model:

* Uncovering Abuse of the Pregnant Woman Synergy CERP B (Advocacy/Moral Agency)

* Elder Abuse: Mistreatment of Older Americans on the Rise Synergy CERP B (Advocacy/Moral Agency)

* Nurses, Women and Cardiac Disease Synergy CERP A (Clinical Judgment)

* Hospice Care: Right Patient, Right Time, Right Place Synergy CERP B (Caring Practices)

* Document It Right--Would Your Charting Stand Up in Court? Synergy CERP B (Advocacy/Moral Agency)

For your convenience, CE activities in AACN's Online CE Center are already categorized by Synergy CERPs. Those for NTI 2007 have been categorized by Synergy CERPs as well. We will continue to categorize CEs in both types of CERPs until the transition to Renewal by Synergy CERPs is complete in 2010.