Dr. Deborah Raines Wins Innovations In Clinical Research Award from Sigma Theta Tau

Research Based on Palm Healthcare Preceptor of Excellence Initiative

WEST PALM BEACH, FL. – Palm Healthcare Foundation (PHF) is pleased to announce Deborah Raines, PhD, RN, has been awarded the Innovations in Clinical Excellence Award from Sigma Theta Tau, the national nursing honor society, for her research based on the Palm Healthcare Foundation Preceptor of Excellence Initiative.

Dr. Raines, a Professor at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, received the award for the implementation and evaluation of Preceptor as Connoisseur and Catalyst: An evidence based standard for Nurse Preceptors.   A preceptor is an experienced registered nurse who provides support and guidance to students during clinical placement.  After reviewing and evaluating nursing literature, Dr. Raines developed an interactive, educational workshop and quarterly “E-TIPS” (e-Teaching in Practice Strategies), with the goal of enhancing the preparation of preceptors.  Dr. Raines’ research examined whether the implementation of the workshop and “E-TIPS” made an impact on preceptor retention and satisfaction.  The use of evidence-based practice is important in nursing to create better outcomes for patients, as well as to save time and reduce stress.

“We are honored that Dr. Raines chose Palm Healthcare Foundation’s work as a basis for her award winning research,” said Judy Brustad, Palm Healthcare Foundation Director of Healthcare Workforce Retention Strategies. “She has taken the Preceptor of Excellence Program to the next step by developing real-world applications through workshops and informative communications to help enhance the nursing practice.”

Dr. Raines, a 2006 Palm Healthcare Foundation Commitment to Community award recipient, has a variety of clinical experiences as a clinical nurse specialist and researcher in acute care and community settings. Her most recent experience is in the university setting teaching undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students and conducting nursing based research. Dr. Raines has published a number of manuscripts and book chapters and has been the recipient of numerous awards. She is a PhD graduate of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing and was a faculty member in the Maternal Child Nursing department for many years.

The Palm Healthcare Foundation Preceptor of Excellence initiative is a community-wide, approach to the selection, preparation, development and recognition of nurses who serve as preceptors in the clinical setting. Through this program, PHF designates and honors nurses who demonstrate superior skills as Preceptors of Excellence. By offering continuing education and support to nurse preceptors, PHF hopes to strengthen the preceptorship experience in both the transition from school to work and in the retention of new graduates as well as experienced nurses.

About Palm Healthcare Foundation, Inc.
Palm Healthcare Foundation, Inc. was chartered in 2001 as an independent community healthcare foundation. Believing that “Together We Can Do More,” the foundation’s mission is to transform healthcare challenges by bringing together the talents and resources of the community to create innovative solutions that deliver high-impact results. The Foundation’s funding priorities—access to healthcare, healthcare quality and safety, healthcare technology, healthcare policy and healthcare workforce—are designed to empower non-profit healthcare organizations and healthcare professionals to create programs and services that improve the quality of life for Palm Beach County’s underserved citizens.  Since 2001, the Foundation has distributed more than $20 million to over 80 non-profit organizations in Palm Beach County operating over 130 programs that met its funding goals.  To learn more about Palm Healthcare Foundation, please visit www.palmhealthcare.org