Nurses implement recommendations, resources from AACN webinars, putting new findings into bedside practice

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ongoing hosted webinars from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) have quickly proven to be an effective tool for moving new findings and evidence-based recommendations into nursing practice at the bedside.

Launched in 2013, the AACN Critical Care Webinar Series offers monthly presentations by nationally recognized speakers on evidence-based clinical topics, at no cost and accompanied by ready-to-use implementation tools and resources.

In its first year, the series attracted more than 24,000 views, and more than a third of the viewers watched the webinar with a group.

Customer satisfaction with the webinar series is very high. On average, 95 percent of viewers were satisfied with the program, 96 percent would recommend the program to their colleagues, and 95 percent intend to apply the practices presented.

Beyond watching the presentations, nurses report that practice recommendations presented in the webinars are implemented at the bedside. On average, 47 percent of viewers implemented the practice recommendations presented in the webinar in their personal practice, 39 percent say their work unit implemented the practice recommendations, and 36 percent say their organization implemented them.

"AACN webinars are driving evidence-based practice at the point of care, rapidly moving new clinical knowledge into practice at the bedside," said AACN Chief Clinical Officer Connie Barden, RN, MSN, CCRN-E, CCNS. "The 30-minute format makes it convenient for individuals to fit into their schedule and allows groups to set aside time afterward to discuss how the material applies to them."

On average, 84 percent of viewers said they would encourage their colleagues to view the webinar, 82 percent planned to discuss the topic with their colleagues, and 77 percent are sharing the information with unit leadership.

More than half of the audience is composed of educators, clinical nurse specialists and nurse managers/directors who bring groups of nurses together to learn about and implement evidence-based practice. Nearly 30 percent of viewers are staff nurses.

To learn about and register online for an upcoming webinar, visit www.aacn.org/webinarseries. Past webinars, available on-demand, address a variety of topics, including:

• severe sepsis
• alarm fatigue
• pain and sedation
• delirium
• progressive mobility
• hypothermia
• healthcare-associated infections
• device-related pressure ulcers
• healthy work environments and other workplace concerns
• functional hemodynamic monitoring
• caring for an Ebola patient
• post intensive care syndrome
• functional hemodynamics

In addition to the presentations, registrants are granted online access to webinar-related tools and resources. All webinar participants have unlimited access to recorded webcasts. AACN members receive CE at no charge, and there is a $5 fee for nonmembers.

"As the largest specialty nursing organization in the world, AACN provides members of our community the tools and resources necessary to provide the best possible care for their patients," Barden said. "We continually add to our collection of evidence-based, clinical education that bedside clinicians need to ensure patient safety and stay on the cutting edge of critical care nursing practice."

The webinar series is part of AACN's continuing commitment to provide the nursing community with current evidence-based practices and implementation resources in caring for acutely and critically ill patients. The webinars join peer-reviewed scientific and clinical journals, e-learning courses, conferences and more than 300 continuing education activities.

Learn more about AACN's educational offerings at http://www.aacn.org/education.

About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses:  Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN joins together the interests of more than 500,000 acute and critical care nurses and includes more than 235 chapters worldwide. The organization's vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution.

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656-4109;
Phone: 949-362-2000; www.aacn.org; facebook.com/aacnface; twitter.com/aacnme

SOURCE American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)

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http://www.aacn.org