Editor's note: The following article was one of 10 winning essays in the 2008 Healthcare Heroes Essay Contest sponsored by the Connecticut Hospital Association.

Whether they are identifying an abnormal finding during a physical exam, easing someone's pain or holding the hand of a frightened patient, nurses are our everyday heroes. Every day they provide excellent care using knowledge, skills and caring behaviors to help patients achieve their highest level of wellness.

Through the implementation of the new Nursing Professional Development Program at New Milford Hospital, New Milford, CT, Letha Walters, BA, RN, assistant director of clinical practice and nursing research, provides initial, ongoing and advanced training to support the nurses' knowledge, skills and behaviors that translate to excellent patient care.

Walters is a hero's hero.

Individualized Training

The Nursing Professional Development Program includes a competency-based orientation program with individualized training tracks to meet the unique needs and wide variety/levels of new-hire experience, including the experienced nurse, new graduate and nurses "refreshing" their practice after time away from the profession. Training preceptors to mentor and nurture these precious new hires is also part of the program.

As an educator, Walters assesses each learner's needs and then uses a variety of teaching methods to stimulate critical thinking, using case presentations and plenty of skills practice. Training on the simulator mannequin in particular is a big hit with the nurses.

To support the profession, promote life-long learning and provide an ample pool of nurses to serve residents of our local community, Walters partners with other organizations. She also serves as clinical site coordinator for students of various healthcare professions, including refresher students from the National League for Nurses.

Variety of Subjects

For ongoing and advanced training, the nursing education calendar offers a variety of subjects which Walters coordinates. The monthly education fair is full of training stations and story boards that introduce or review policies, clinical programs and skills. Over the past year, she has evaluated all of the outsourced nursing education.

To improve quality and reduce cost ($10,000-plus a year), Walters in-sourced telemetry training, converted to American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS), changed pediatric nurse and chemotherapy training sites, and brought Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) to the hospital. She also coordinates the BLS and ALS training programs, including training the Rapid Response Team (RRT) trainers. The new RRT program has already successfully rescued several patients.

Recognizing that performing lifesaving skills is an infrequent activity, requires precise execution and is very stressful, Walters performs both planned and unplanned mock code drills throughout the hospital to increase competency/ability and comfort levels. She also collects data to continuously look for opportunities to improve the professional development program.

Put to the Test

The following is one example of how Walters works through others to impact patient care.

When a patient returned to the Family Birthing Center following surgery, she appeared stable on initial assessment. Shortly after, when checked by the nurse, the patient's respirations were shallow and slow. The surgeon and anesthesiologist were tied up in another surgical case. The patient's nurse quickly called the RRT while another nurse pulled the crash cart into the room.

The nurses worked quickly and confidently, providing additional breathing support with an ambu bag and hooking the patient up to the monitor. The patient's heart rate dropped dramatically, and the nurses quickly gave her IV fluids and medication. By the time the physician arrived, the patient was breathing safely on her own, and her heart rate was stable.

As soon as the patient was settled, phone calls streamed in from the birthing center nurses to thank Walters for all the mock code drills. The birth center nurses said they felt prepared, confident and proud they were able to quickly and accurately respond to this emergency situation.

While the nurses in this situation are the everyday heroes, Walters is the hero's hero. I am honored to work with such a dedicated professional and truly exemplary educator.

Sharon L. Narducci is senior director of the center for clinical excellence at New Milford Hospital, New Milford, CT.