Tampa, FL (Dec. 12, 2006) - The University of South Florida College of Nursing has been selected as one of 14 schools of nursing nationwide to participate in Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB), a prestigious initiative making quality improvements on the front lines of hospital-based patient care. Sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in conjunction with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), TCAB links schools of nursing with major regional hospitals to create 14 strategic partnerships in communities across the country.

The partnership will help future nurses learn how to identify opportunities for quality improvements that could enhance patient care, and teach them how to advocate for their implementation. Nursing students will work with TCAB teams at James A. Haley Veterans Administration Hospital to identify where change is needed, recommend and test potential solutions and determine if the innovations should be implemented. In so doing, the program provides a vital link between the classroom and the medical-surgical unit in the hospital by helping nursing students understand how the time they spend working directly with patients affects the quality of care patients receive.

"As the largest group of health professionals providing direct care to patients, nurses play a pivotal role in affecting the delivery of quality of care," said Patricia Burns, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of the USF College of Nursing.

"TCAB features a patient care model of collegial partnerships among patients, nurses, physicians, and all other health care providers. USF College of Nursing can foster this partnership with interdisciplinary teaching and learning, a sound prerequisite to interdisciplinary practice," said Deborah Cantero, MS, ARNP-C, TCAB program director, USF College of Nursing.

The guiding principal behind TCAB is the link between the quality of care patients receive and the work environment in which nurses function. By identifying and implementing improvements to the delivery of patient care, TCAB aims to enhance the quality of patient care, create more effective care teams, improve patient and staff satisfaction and improve staff retention.

"This initiative engages nursing students in understanding how small changes in frontline procedures can dramatically affect quality of care, and empower them to take an active role in designing improvements throughout their careers," said Sue Hassmiller, RN, PhD, FAAN, senior program officer at RWJF. "Weíre delighted and honored to have the University of South Florida College of Nursing join us in our mission."

Working in cooperation with James A. Haley Veterans Administration Hospital, USF's College of Nursing will identify relevant curricula that promote TCAB principles, develop concrete learning modules and share lessons learned with other schools nationwide. More information about the TCAB School of Nursing initiative and Transforming Care at the Bedside is available at http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Programs/TransformingCareAtTheBedside.