Littauer’s P.E.A.R.L. Program trains nurses to succeed

Gloversville, NY…A group of nurses gathered April 5th and 9th at Littauer’s HealthLink offices to learn how to best transition new nurses into their field. PEARL stands for: Promoting Education And Relationships at Littauer, and is a “train the trainer” series created specifically for nurses. The PEARL Clinical Coaching at NLH is designed to give professional preceptors the tools necessary to assist new employees. The intensive two-day seminar educates clinical coaches in the concepts and theories of precepting as developed by the Vermont Nurse Internship Project. “This program helps nurses train today’s nurse, resulting in a greater job satisfaction, and higher retention rates.” stated Kathy Rohrs, MSN, RN, the program organizer and lead educator. She added, “The best result of this program is enhanced patient care and employee satisfaction.”

A program which is earning rave reviews

About 19 participants were instructed in various techniques that help to acclimate graduate nurses or licensed nurses to the demands of today’s acute care hospital. The program teaches conflict management, fostering critical thinking, use of effective communication, organization skills, delegation and liability. The participants develop a learning plan and review how to assess nurses’ competence. Mr. Rohrs explains, “The end goal is to develop a professional preceptor who is a competent, communicative nurse, not only content in their position but educated in how to assist new nurses reach that same point.”

The program is modeled from the Vermont Nurses in Partnership curriculum in professional preceptor development. Susan Boyer, MS, RN, Director of VNIP, stated “Vermont Nurses In Partnership (VNIP) has greatly enjoyed sharing the VNIP model/resources with NYSNA and the involved NY Health Care agencies. Each agency faces unique and challenging circumstances, thus the flexibility of the VNIP model is essential to its success. With ten years of experience and data collection, we have learned that nurse internships are essential to safe and effective transition into practice. This experience validates that internships are as strong or as weak as the foundation that is built for them and the primary structure of that foundation is preceptor development and support. The success that Nathan Littauer Hospital has had with the VNIP program gives evidence of the hospital’s commitment to high quality care and evidence-based practice.”

Now in its second year, the program is has shown great success to the recruitment and retention rate of nurses at Nathan Littauer Hospital. Proudly, the information from last year’s program was presented by the New York State Nurses Association to a seminar in Africa. This year, Mrs. Susan Boyer, Executive Director of the Vermont Nurses Association in Partnership (VNIP) has requested that the successful campaign format for NLH be allowed to be used for the VNIP project to assist other hospitals in the Northeast in implementation of such educational sessions.

The program is receiving rave reviews. Evaluations of the program said it was a “great program, very informative as well as entertaining” and “I appreciate the value NLH has for their employees in training and retraining them.” If you are a nurse and would like more information on professional Preceptor training please contact the Education Department at Nathan Littauer Hospital at 773-5495.

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