In 2004, BAYADA began to formally recognize nurses for their ideas enhancing technological innovation in nursing education and practice. Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professionals and the Drexel University Nursing Education Institute (DUNEI) have facilitated the award process each year since its inception. This year, on May 5, 2016, awards were presented for Technological Innovation in Health Care Education and Practice during an award ceremony at Drexel. 

The 2016 BAYADA Award recipient for practice is Joshua D. Lenchus, DO, associate professor of clinical medicine and anesthesiology at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He has led the way in invasive bedside procedural instruction. He said the idea came about while brainstorming. “Armed with the idea, we sought to see if our approach had been done elsewhere,” he said. “We contacted dozens of institutions thought to be on the cutting edge of medical education only to discover that what we envisioned had yet to be accomplished.” Lenchus was referring to the simulation-based curriculum in invasive bedside procedural instruction that significantly improved the knowledge and technical skills of novice health care providers, ending the “see one, do one, teach one” era.

Since the program’s launch in July of 2007 as an elective for internal medicine residents at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, it rapidly became one of the most sought-after rotations in the program. Now, more than 1,500 medical residents and fellows, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists and attending physicians have been trained using this method for common procedures. 

The 2016 BAYADA Award recipient for education is the team of Weideman, Lockhart, Young, Grund, Fridline, and Panas, for the Virtual Simulation Experience (VSE), a web-based virtual clinical experience designed to strengthen the cultural competence of nursing students regarding pre- and post-natal care.

Shared simulated virtual experiences allow students to interact with patients offering a creative and cost-effective learning opportunity that can significantly improve students’ cultural competence and confidence. In light of the limited availability of clinical sites in maternal health and the growing competition for these sites, innovative educational approaches, such as this, are essential in nursing education.  

For students, the outcomes were successful.“They increased their cultural awareness and they learned nursing interventions that were needed in the community to improve outcomes,” said Young, who hopes to expand the project to include more populations so that students can increasingly gain exposure. “This is not the only area where health care providers can make an impact.  If we can get into the communities we can affect change and improve outcomes.” 

The relationship between the College of Nursing and Health Professions and BAYADA Home Health Care began over a decade ago, and has evolved to encompass The BAYADA Home Health Care Speaker Series in addition to the awards. This spring marked the third lecture in the Speaker Series, which is a platform to highlight topics, trends, and leaders in health care, while promoting intellectual stimulation and faculty and staff development.

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