It’s midnight, and most of us are fast asleep or finishing up a Netflix binge, but Pennsylvania Hospital’s Sara Cohen, MSN, is halfway through leading a professional development course. Before she clocks out at 3 a.m., she’ll stop by each inpatient unit, as well as the Emergency Department and Crisis Response Center, check-in with new hires, and brainstorm simulations she could lead with each team.
Cohen, the first nighttime clinical nurse education specialist (CNES) in the health system, just celebrated two years in this unique role. “The need for support was so great at night that the impact of a nighttime CNES was felt almost immediately. Being present at night is so valuable; there’s simply no replacement for working side-by-side with staff as their educator and as part of their team,” she said. “And since I couldn’t find a how-to guide when I began this journey, I decided to blaze the trail and write one myself!”
Cohen is determined to bring the same education, professional development, and mentorship opportunities available to day-shift staff to night nurses and other staff. The first night Schwartz Rounds were hosted earlier this spring by PAH’s Night Council, for example, and a “Moonlight Munch & Learn” focused on drug diversion was held as an interdisciplinary Night Grand Rounds. Not only do regular late night learning opportunities reaffirm the critical roles that night-shift staff play in care delivery, but getting everyone on the same page ensures consistency in communication and practices across shifts.
“The entire Nursing Education team has been integral in getting these programs off the ground,” Cohen said. “Their support and encouragement has made it possible to develop my role into something that is truly useful to our night-shift staff, and I’m so grateful for their help in making our nighttime education such a success.”
Cohen also creates personalized plans to address knowledge gaps. When she recognized inconsistencies surrounding the administration of insulin to patients with diabetes at bedtime, she spent several weeks auditing patient charts and collecting data, shared her findings with the director of Diabetes Education, and developed a comprehensive nursing education curriculum to address the issue. Within six months, insulin administration rates rose to near perfect compliance, and this success will actually be featured in the Association for Nursing Professional Development’s NPD Anthology, set to publish this fall.
“Sara’s impact on the night nursing team cannot be understated. Since implementing the night educator role, interest and engagement in professional development activities has exploded, and initiatives that enhance nursing practice and quality care are being driven by clinical nurses,” said Tanya Carmichael, MSN, RN, RNC-OB, director of Nursing Education at PAH. “With Sara’s support, we will continue to grow the educational programming, professional development opportunities, and clinical project support for the night team in order to optimize safe, quality patient care and an engaged nursing team.”