About Vermont Nurses in Partnership

Vermont Nurses In partnership

Vermont Nurses In Partnership, Inc. (VNIP) includes nurse leaders from academia, regulation and various practice settings. The collaboration has grown from the initial 45 Vermont-based members, to a coalition of over 300 nurse leaders from across the nation and around the world. These proactive healthcare leaders provide the intellectual resources that allow us to develop and deliver intern, orientee, and preceptor development programs.

Mission/VISION Statement:

To provide educational resources and services that support transitions into the workplace for professional nurses and other staff in healthcare. Using a framework that is research and evidenced based will ensure provision of competent practice and quality of care for patients and populations.

Internal vision: Development of an administrative structure and protocols that will make the framework, tools, and resources available to agencies at a local, regional, and national level.

Our business

To provide the tools and services that support development and validation of competence in staff who are in the midst of transition to a new work setting.
To provide a framework that is evidenced based, flexible, practical, easily implemented and applicable across the continuum of care.
To collect data for evaluation and validation of best practice models.
To ensure standardization of educational tools, framework, and delivery, to maintain quality of care and ensure patient safety.
To support collaboration between education and practice settings
To advance teamwork, networking, sharing and leadership among healthcare colleagues in the practice setting.

Fundamental values

Continuous Development

Maintaining a presence and growing the work in Vermont
Effective learning requires clinical experience within a supportive environment
Both funding and recognition of politics are essential to development
In our environment of change – keep it short and simple!

Collaboration

While the core of our work is nursing, we value the healthcare delivery team
Sharing our work with other healthcare professionals
Stakeholders have great things to offer – expertise, ideas, skills, experience
Sharing of concepts, tools, resources, and assistance

Evidence-Based

A research base is vital to ensuring quality and consistency
Standardization of approach & benchmarking provides greater value
Learning and education is pivotal to success in the practice setting as well as safe, effective patient care
Work, resources, programs, & evaluation built upon a collaborative foundation

Core work entails the development of:

Resources
Workshops and training sessions
Consultation services
The membership organization, a foundation of networking and rewards

Board of Directors

Mary Botter, RN Ph.D.
Executive Director, Vermont State Board of Nursing

Patricia Donehower, RN M.S.N.
Director of Adult Home Care, Chittenden/Grand Isle VNA

Margaret Gagne, RN, M.S.N.
Interim Director of Med Surg Nursing , Fletcher Allen Health Center

Anna Gerac, RN, M.S.N.
Director, Vermont Technical College Nursing Programs

Gail Hanlon, RN, M.S.N.
VNIP Research Project Site Coordinator, SVMC

Kathy Keleher, RN, M.P.H.
Acting Director, Public Health Nursing, VT Dept of Public Health

Jill Lord, RN, M.S.
VP of Patient Care Services, Mount Ascutney Hospital and Health Center

Meg H. O'Donnell
Director of Government Relations & Assistant General Counsel, FAHC

Mary Val Palumbo, RN, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Nursing Workforce Research, Planning, and Development

Pamela Puccia, R.N.
Director of Nursing Services - Helen Porter Health & Rehabilitation Center

Patricia Winsted-Fry, RN Ph.D.
Researcher, Evaluation Consultant

Patricia Wrightsman, RN, M.S.
Chair, Southern Vermont College of Nursing Program