ABN - About the Board

The Board of Nursing has sponsored or participated in research activities over the years in order to assist in fulfilling its legally authorized functions. Since its inception, the Board of Nursing has engaged in research activities such as data gathering and tabulation of frequencies relating to licensees, testing for entry into practice, and disciplinary activities. In the earlier years, most research activities centered on educational preparation for entry into practice. As the practice of nursing has become more complex and issues of scope of practice and discipline have increased, the Board has expanded its research activities to facilitate practicing nurses in making decisions that are legally defensible and in the interest of public safety and welfare. The Board formally adopted an evidenced-based evaluative research agenda in fiscal year 2000. The impetus for this decision was the Board’s need to provide logical rationale for making changes that impact the public’s safety and welfare. As the Board embarked upon the 21st century, projects of prime concern in regulatory research were issues of discipline, competence for entry into practice and advanced practice. Matters of public accountability are also prime areas for investigation. These include the Board’s evaluation of its various statutorily mandated programs such as the disciplinary and disciplinary alternative programs for substance abuse, continuing education, and scholarship.

A major research interest for the Board is examination of the nursing shortage in the state. The establishment of the Center for Nursing will enhance this research interest in nursing workforce issues. At least one project has been conducted and published or presented at national conferences each year over the past 10 years. Data obtained from the projects have been treated with respect for the protection of human subjects. The findings and conclusions from Board sponsored projects are utilized by Board members in making decisions that impact nursing and ensure the public’s safety and welfare.

A summary of recently completed or in-process projects:

Alabama Board of Nursing Summary of Research Projects: February 2005
Tentative Title	Stage of Completion	Plans for Dissemination
Research projects
1. Judicial Decisions, Case Law and Continuing Education	1. Research completed Summer 1998. Has been referenced in one paper.	1. Presented to Board Summer 1998; edited by Mr. Jack Smith of the Lister Hill Library for the Health Sciences Web Page with a link to the ABN Web Page.
2. Evaluation of the Alabama Board of Nursing Recovery Programs for Chemically Dependent Nurses	2. Completed in 1999.	2. Executive Summary presented at the Board meeting, March 2000. Monograph published in 2000 and is available from the Board.
3. Licensees’ Perceptions of the Alabama Board of Nursing Mandatory Continuing Education Program.	3. Completed in 1999.	3. Presented executive summary to the Board in March 1999. Findings published in an ABN Newsletter and used to enhance the four-phased competency project. Article entitled: "Evaluation of Alabama’s mandatory continuing education program for reasonableness, access, and value" published in the May/June, 2002 issue of the Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing.
4. Synthesis of Education Trust Scholarship Recipients Perceptions and Practices.	4. Project completed March 2000.	4. Reported to the Board March 2000. Monograph written and available from the Board.
5. Synthesis of Completers Perceptions of the ANNA program	5. Data analysis was completed in December 1999; a report of findings was reviewed with the head of the ANNA program. Findings are being used to revise the instrument for continued evaluation of the effectiveness of ANNA.	5. The executive summary was presented to the Board in March 1999. The full report is available for review by the Board.
6. Continued Competence Project: Consumers perceptions of Competence in Nursing. 7. Continued Competence projects related to the perceptions of licensees, educators, and nurses in selected organizations were completed in 2000. The Alabama Board of Nursing (ABN) worked with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) on the national competency pilot project (CCAP).	6. The Consumer portion of the project was finalized in May 1999. 7. Round I of the study completed September 2001.	A paper was developed and presented at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. Educational Sessions of the Annual Meeting in July 1999. A video from the focus group was edited and presented to the Board in March 1999, then incorporated into the educational session’s presentation. The paper was included in the post-convention publication of ISSUES. A paper was presented during the Educational Sessions of the American Nurses Association national convention, June 2000
8. Board of nursing history	8. This project was initiated in January 1999 with a Call for researchers. Twelve nurses volunteered to participate. Completed to date: A video was produced in January 2000. Archival records are being organized to facilitate electronic retrieval.	8. Archival records will be available for electronic retrieval. Currently, a video of Board history is available.
9. Synthesis of Activities to improve NCLEX Performance of Graduates of Board approved School of Nursing in Alabama.	9. This project responds to a national call for information on action taken to improve the performance of graduates on the NCLEX examination.	9. Abstract completion January 2000; paper completion, July 2000. Abstract was presented at a national educational conference.
10. Nursing Workforce In Alabama: 2000-2001.	This project was initiated in April 2000. A workforce steering committee was organized and employment data were collected from approximately 41,000 licensed nurses participated during RN and LPN licensure renewal.	Monograph published July 2002. Executive summary also available.
11. Mayday Pain Project: Monitoring and Investigating Pain Management by Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners.	This project which focused on pain management and prescriptive practices of certified registered nurse practitioners, (CRNPs) and compliance with collaborative practice protocols was funded by a grant received from the American Society of Law, Medicine, and Ethics Mayday project. Three hundred forty seven CRNPs within the state responded to a questionnaire that addressed educational preparation, prescribing practices, and barriers from regulatory agencies regarding pain management.	The project was completed May 2002 and a manuscript was accepted for publication. The Board anticipates using findings from this study to impact decisions regarding continued competency requirements for advanced practice nurses and establish a protocol compliance monitoring program.
12. Synthesis of data examining nurses’ performance of practice skills/competencies.	This project examines available data from the several projects, the Alabama Board of Nursing’ s Continued Competence Study, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing ‘s Practice and Professional Issues (PPI) survey, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing ‘s 2001 Employers survey, and data from the Alabama Board of Nursing’ s subcommittee on Congruence between practice and education, to determine future directions for the Board regarding congruence between practice and education.	Data has been analyzed. Report was presented to the Board in 2003.
13. Health Services Delivery in School Settings	This project started in academic year 2003-2004. School personnel collected data about medications, invasive procedures and health needs of students. Data has been analyzed.	Report was presented to the Board in 2005. The Board anticipates using findings from this report to evaluate the rules relating to delegation of some medications to unlicensed assistive personnel in the school setting and to determine future data needs regarding school health services.
14. Nursing Workforce in Alabama 2006-	The Board approved establishing a Center for Nursing in 2003 and employed the Director in March 2005. The Board will appoint an advisory council for the Center for Nursing in November 2005 with the first meeting expected in January 2006. The advisory council will assist the Center to identify data elements and sources of data related to the nursing workforce in Alabama.	Reports will be available to the Board.

1-800-656-5318 | Alabama Board of Nursing P.O. Box 303900 Montgomery, AL 36130-3900