March 23, 2004:
To Those Concerned about Nursing Readiness,
Today marks the release of a new website from
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Nursing. The website features the measurement of nursing readiness to perform nursing care in austere environments. The Readiness Estimate and Deployability Index (READI), now a package of several instruments,
is the centerpiece of the new website. The READI
is
a self-assessment of a nurse's readiness to perform nursing care in austere environments where modern equipment and an orderly atmosphere may not exist. The READI versions (Army, Air Force, Navy, and Civilian) were tested and refined with numerous samples of practicing clinical nurses in both fixed and mobile hospitals throughout the U.S. Department of Defense.
The new website is the culmination of a research program which began in 1996, with funding support from the U.S. Congress, administered by the Tri-Service Nursing Research Program and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine. The research program was also supported by funding from Delta Alpha Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honorary, the Rosemary Kerr McKevitt Memorial Faculty Research Award, and from The University of Texas Health Science Center School of Nursing, Department of Acute Nursing Care.
The research program began with expert panels and progressed through instrument development and testing, and finally to web availability. The readiness instruments presented on the website began in the Army (READI), proceeded to the Air Force (U.S. Air Force READI - Revised) and the Civilian Sector (READI-Civilian). Currently, the Navy READI (READI-NAV) is under development, thereby completing a valid and reliable readiness measure for all Nurse Corps of the Department of Defense as well as for the private sector. A hallmark of the READI program is mentoring of company grade officers completing graduate education at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio , The University of Tennessee, Chattanooga , and The U.S. Army-Baylor University Program in Health Care Administration, as the development and testing proceeded. The website could not have been completed without the contributions of students who learned from the process. The statistical expertise and support of Dr. Kenneth Finstuen is also acknowledged. Acknowledgement is also extended to Dr. Lynne Connelly for her early support with expert panels building the qualitative foundation during concept clarification phase, to Dr. Barbara Covington for information technology support, and to Ms. Heather Cura for professional web services.
The website offers places to view the instruments, read the history of this research program, read journal articles about development and testing, and link to related websites. The READI instruments are in the public domain and available for your immediate use. In the future, it will be possible to enter responses online and request scoring services for individuals or units. For now, the web-availability of the READI instruments is paramount.
I am interested in your comments and feedback about the website. Contact me at reineck@uthscsa.edu or 210-567-5883. Thank you again for your concern that nurses throughout our nation be READI to perform nursing care wherever and whenever needed.
Carol Reineck, PhD, CCRN, CNAA-BC
Assistant Professor, Department of Acute Nursing Care
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
7703 Floyd Curl Dr. - MC7975
San Antonio , TX 78229-3900
AMSUS Convention Photos
Click on each image for a larger view of the photo.
CPT Rivers' Mother |
CPT Rivers & Mom |
Talon & Rivers - Anniversary |
Mother, CPT Rivers, LTGEN Peak & Talon
|
All of Us Again |
The Official Award |
