Nursing Knowledge International: A One-Stop Resource to Help Nurses Help Others Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International Launches New Subsidiary

INDIANAPOLIS—Nurses worldwide now have a one-stop resource for the knowledge they need to learn or practice evidence-based nursing, develop their careers, increase leadership skills and earn continuing education credits. Nursing Knowledge International is a new, nonprofit organization for nurses all over the world. Powered by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, one of the most respected names in nursing, Nursing Knowledge International will help make a difference in the lives of nurses—and every life nurses touch. Through its Web site, www.nursingknowledge.org, the organization will deliver nursing knowledge designed to improve patient outcomes by enhancing the knowledge base of its nurse customers.

"The impact of Nursing Knowledge International will stretch far beyond the nurses who use it as a resource," said Nursing Knowledge International Executive Director Bob Gallup. "While it will serve the global community of nursing by providing knowledge and professional development services that increase nurse satisfaction, its real value lies in the fact that it will enhance nurse effectiveness and, in turn, improve patient care by helping nurses help others."

Helping Nurses Help Others
Nursing Knowledge International offers knowledge-based solutions developed for nurses by nurses. It recognizes the passion that nurses have to learn and share ideas. It's designed for nurses to share their knowledge to help patients, students, fellow nurses and other health care professionals. Nursing Knowledge International aims to help nurses improve the health and education of their patients and the communities in which they practice, lead, teach and conduct research.

How Nursing Knowledge International is Different

• Personal: The Web site is personalized so each nurse is free to develop her/his own questions and intentions. Each visit will ensure high-touch, nurse-supported customer service. Nursing Knowledge International uses Microsoft's Commerce Server and customer relationship management infrastructure for a highly customized and personalized customer experience.
• Interactive: Searches conducted through Nursing Knowledge International will yield very specific results. Whether a nurse is looking for knowledge to help a patient or to continue her/his education, the right materials will be readily available.
• Evidence-Based Nursing: The organization incorporates a wide range of evidence-based nursing content, ensuring that the best research, expertise and patient preferences have been taken into account and translated into clinical application.
• Quality Content: Because the content offered by Nursing Knowledge International is nursingspecific, customers will notice a difference in the materials they find. The content has been developed by schools of nursing, nursing associations and health care organizations, each professionally committed to nursing as a profession and better patient outcomes as a goal. Unlike organizations that offer various content from the health care arena, Nursing Knowledge International is 100-percent nurse focused—and it shows.
• Solutions: Nursing Knowledge International brings together solutions-oriented knowledge and content from sources across clinical practices, academia and research to serve both the educational and professional development needs of nurses.

The Need for Nursing Knowledge International
Individual nurses, health care systems and educational institutions around the world will benefit from Nursing Knowledge International's offerings.

There are approximately 11 million working nurses worldwide, including more than 2.5 million in the United States. These nurses need to continue their education to maintain licenses (32 states in the United States require continuing education for nurses), maintain certifications and uphold employment terms. And, they often need help finding courses and getting them done quickly. Health care systems are often in search of the best products and services. They need these to help recruit, develop and retain quality nursing staff; maintain patient care standards; and remain competitive.

However, searching the Web for a pertinent article or a specific continuing education course can be frustrating and confusing. Online searches for "nursing continuing education" yield massive results, and it's difficult to wade through the different options. Nursing Knowledge International will list—categorically—classes, related articles and other solution offerings.

"We made a strategic decision to build an intuitive and fulfilling experience on the most advanced delivery platform available," said Gallup. "Nurses visiting the site will be presented not with a laundry list of products and services that are available, but with comprehensive knowledge solutions based on their search criteria. This is truly different than any other offering in the market."

Partnerships
Nursing Knowledge International is working hard to ensure that it has the best nursing content available on the Web. It has done so by establishing broad partnerships with nursing associations, publishers, continuing education providers, universities and other companies that produce health care books, continuing education, journals, research papers, teaching products and other forms of nursing content. A number of leading organizations are collaborating with Nursing Knowledge International to assist the global nursing community, including: