About Us
Misson Statement
To contribute to improving health outcomes for citizens of North Carolina through the support of leadership development, research and demonstration projects intended to enhance the practice of nursing.
- Mission and Vision
- Read the FFNE Accomplishments Report
Important Organizational Documents
History
The Foundation for Nursing Excellence (“FFNE”) was created by the NC Board of Nursing in April 2002 as a non-profit, corporation organized to improve health outcomes for the citizens of North Carolina by enhancing the practice of nursing and to support projects whose efforts will provide new and innovative methodologies related to nursing regulation and safe, effective nursing practice.
In January 2005, the FNE sponsored its first invitational conference focused on improving health care delivered to citizens of NC. The Patient Safety Symposium was held to update attendees on patient safety initiatives nationally and across North Carolina and to identify opportunities to enhance patient safety through collaboration among NC’s leading health care entities. This symposium was the first of its kind held in North Carolina.
By 2006, FFNE initiated a project to determine how we could better enhance the transition of newly licensed nurses into competent, confident care providers as they entered the workforce. This project grew into the Nursing Preceptor Success Program which includes three eLearning modules with related simulated learning scenarios for preceptor role development. These modules are now available through the NC Area Health Education Virtual Library at http://www.aheconnect.com/newahec/courses.asp.
In 2008, we also began the exciting journey of creating a new educational pathway for nurses to achieve a baccalaureate degree in nursing at the beginning of their nursing career. By Fall 2014, this seamless, dual admission pathway between associate degree and baccalaureate degree nursing programs entitled Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses (RIBN) included nine universities, 31 community colleges and one private associated degree program. Details about the RIBN project, tools for developing this pathway and a map of participating educational programs are available on our website at www.ribn.org.
In 2011, we became a Co-lead for the NC Future of Nursing Action Coalition to transform nursing based on the 2010 Institute of Medicine Report: The Future of Nursing, Leading Change, Advancing Health. Follow these activities on www.futureofnursingnc.org.
In 2013, FFNE convened a workgroup to study how best to support the transition of newly prepared nurse practitioners moving into primary care practice settings, particularly in the more rural and underserved areas of our state. The goal of this project is to create a framework by which these new practitioners are better supported in their role development as primary care providers at a time when access to care as well as care “outside the walls” of the hospital are critical to transforming our healthcare system. Our final report with recommendations for supporting this transition to primary care practices across North Carolina will be completed by Fall 2015.
In 2015-16, FFNE will continue the RIBN initiative with our final year of funding from both The Duke Endowment and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Academic Progression in Nursing Program. The major focus of our work will be to support the sustainability of this new 4-year educational pathway to a BSN at the begininning of one’s nursing career both at the regional and statewide levels. Tools for initiating and supporting this pathway are available at www.ribn.org. A promotional video regarding RIBN is available at https://vimeo.com/132434000.
