MSNC CO

HISTORY

In 1997, NAPNES formed the Multi-Skilled Nursing Care Certification Organization (MSNC CO) to administer its Long-Term Care Certification program. MSNC CO is not a member organization. It has an Administrative Board that serves the Long-Term Care Certification Board and the Pharmacology Certification Board.

In 1999, MSNC CO identified the need for a Research Center devoted excluisively to collecting and analyzing and reporting data regarding licensed practical/vocational nurses as well as data regarding other health care givers that participate in nursing care at any level other than registered nursing.

The MSNC CO Research Center is directed by Katherine Chavigny, RN, MSN, Ph.D., FACE. Dr. Chavigny is a registered nurse, holds an MSN and a Ph.D in Epidemology. She brings years of experience in research and analysis to the Directorship. Her dedication to quality patient care is well known through out the United States and internationally. She will direct the projects of the Research Center and be the spokeswoman to Congress, government agencies, health care associations and the public carrying out the goals of the Center.

FACT SHEET

• Quality of Care and LP/LVNs
  
• LPN education concentrates on clinical care at the bedside based on fundamentals of biological sciences.
  
• Basic Nursing care at the bedside is provided by LP/LVNs who are educated in over 1100 programs of education in the US.
  
• Basic nursing care now includes all kinds of patient medications and certification from the National Association of Practical Nurse Education and Service (NAPNES) is available to ensure that LP/LVNs are competent in this area.
  
• The numbers of aged and chronically ill are increasing and over five thousand LP/LVNs in Nursing Homes have earned certification in Long Term Care from NAPNES
  
• LP/LVNs stay in rural hospitals and nursing homes longer than other levels of nurses, ensuring consistent care and availability of nurses.
  
• LP/LVNs are educated and licensed by the profession of Nursing.
  
• A recent study from Harvard University on quality of care and levels of nurse staffing showed that nurses -- regardless of their level of education -- could influence quality of care.*
  
• The Harvard study on quality of nursing care in acute care hospitals showed that LP/LVNs and Nurse Aides contributed to the quality of care of patients in acute care hospitals.*
  
• The Harvard study was commissioned through the Institute of Medicine study 1999. The Institute recommended that any study on the quality of nursing care include LP/LVNs and Nursing Aides. This support for LP/LVNs was a direct result of Congressman Waxman initiative in the 1990 nursing shortage to sponsor a bill to fund nursing assistants to become LP/LVNs as part of solutions to future nursing shortages.

*Needleman J., Buerhaus P.I., Mattke S., et al: Nurse Staffing and Patient Outcomes in Hospitals February 28, 2001, Harvard School of Public Health.

Katherine Chavigny RN, MSN, Ph.D., FACE, Director