U--618-14-1-6051-0006 VHA289775 VISN 23 ENA Training

DESCRIPTION: The VISN 23 Veterans Health Administration intends to negotiate a commercial sole source contract with Eslevier, Inc., 3251 Riverport Lane, Maryland Heights, MO 63043, under the authority of FAR 6.302-1. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) FAC 2005-53. Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. A justification for other than full and open competition is being prepared in support of this acquisition. This contractor has knowledge and experience with the VA VISN 23 Emergency Nursing System that would not be readily available to another contractor. The following is the Statement of Work we are requesting this contractor to complete for us: Statement of Work VA Midwest Health Care Network, VISN 23 VISN 23 Emergency Nurses Orientation and Continuing Education I. Background: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is committed to providing timely and high-quality emergency care to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patient population (VHA Handbook 1101.05 2.). Registered nurses assigned to care for acutely or critically ill veterans in the Emergency Department at facilities within VA need to have the knowledge, skills and competencies to deliver quality care in a safe and efficacious manner. Many of the facilities employing Emergency Department nurses lack the onsite expertise to provide orientation and training in many of the specialty areas required to address emergency and trauma care nursing competencies. Lack of a comprehensive curriculum affects the length of time to develop nursing competencies and the overall ability of nurses to provide quality and safe care to critically ill and/or veterans experiencing traumatic injuries. The responsibility of the Department of Veterans Affairs is to ensure that the appropriate number of qualified nurses is available to meet established Joint Commission and Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) standards of practice (VHA Directive 1009, 4, Responsibilities, paragraph 3). The Emergency Nurse Association (ENA) is known nationally for their orientation and continuing education of Emergency Care Nurses in the United States. Emergency Nurses require a broad scope of knowledge, skills, abilities and practice to deliver quality urgent and complex care. Providing safe quality care requires expertise in triage and prioritization, intervention and stabilization, resuscitation, crises intervention, and emergency preparedness. Each nurse working in the Emergency Department must be able to demonstrate evidence of the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver nursing care in accordance with the Standards of Emergency Nursing Practice. VISN 23 Education Product Line has the responsibility to provide web-based training in a convenient and accessible modality. This online training would ensure that all critical care nurses receive a consistent level of training across the network. The Emergency Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission of Accreditation. II. Purpose of Project: The purpose of this purchase is to provide comprehensive emergency nursing orientation, emergency nursing triage and psychiatric emergency training to Emergency Department care nurses at VA Black Hills HCS, VA Central Iowa HCS, VA Fargo HCS, VA Iowa City HCS, VA Nebraska Western Iowa HCS, VA Minneapolis HCS, VA St. Cloud HCS and VA Sioux Falls HCS. III. Statement of Work: a. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Midwest Health Care Network, VISN 23 facility Emergency Department Medical Director is responsible for directing the medical care provided in the Emergency Department and must provide all new staff members working the Emergency Department with a formal orientation to Emergency Department operating policy and procedures. The Emergency Department Nurse Manager is responsible for overseeing the nursing care provided in the Emergency Department and must ensure that the nursing staff is appropriately education and qualified to perform the assigned duties in the Emergency Department in order to meet the Joint Commission and Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Standards of Practice. b. The vendor is responsible for providing the following specific courses that are essential for each facility within VISN 23 to meet the Joint Commission and Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Standards of Practice. The curriculum listed below must be presented in a web-based eLearning format and available to staff 24/7 365 days. 1. Emergency Nursing Orientation The VA Standards of Emergency Nursing Practice for emergency nursing orientation must consists of online modules that incorporates the latest evidence-based practices and comprehensive content which covers a wide range of relevant topics, from the legal foundations of emergency care to assessments to trauma emergency to end-of-life issues. The standards must provide detailed information on a full range of practical guidance for handling special care needs, such as pediatric, violence and abuse, behavior health, and substance abuse trauma emergencies, including head, spinal, thoracic, burns, respiratory, and many more. The curriculum must provide emergency nursing orientation ideally suited for both new and experienced emergency nurses. The scope of knowledge and skills required of emergency nurses is continually expanding in response to Emergency Department overcrowding, extended wait times, and growing ranks of uninsured. The right educational tools can mitigate the challenges that Emergency Departments have in bringing new Emergency Department nurses up to speed and helping experienced nurses keep their professional knowledge up-to-date. The following list of Emergency Nursing Orientation sessions must be provided in an eLearning environment: Foundations of Emergency Nursing Practice Major Trauma Emergencies " Introduction " Basis of Trauma Management " Legal " Head Trauma " Cultural " Spinal Trauma " Education " Thoracic Trauma " GI Trauma Clinical Foundations of Emergency Nursing " Renal and GU Trauma " Assessment and Priority Setting " Orthopedic and Neurovascular Trauma " Emergency Medical Services/Transport - Burns " Vascular Access - Maxillofacial Trauma " Wound Management - Pediatric Trauma " Drug Calculations - Elder Trauma " Pain Management and Sedation - Obstetric Trauma " End-of-Life Care and Organ/Tissue Donation " Emergency Operations Preparedness Medical and Surgical Emergencies " Infectious and Communicable Diseases - Respiratory Emergencies " Cardiovascular Emergencies Special Patient Populations - Shock Emergencies " Obstetric Emergencies - Neurologic Emergencies " Pediatric Emergencies - Gastrointestinal Emergencies " Behavioral Health Emergencies - Renal and GU Emergencies " Violence, Abuse and Forensic Evidence - Fluids and Electrolytes " Substance Abuse - Endocrine Emergencies o Hematologic Emergencies o Toxicologic Emergencies o Gynecologic Emergencies o Dental, Ear, Nose and Throat Emergencies 2. Emergency Nursing Triage The VA Standards of Emergency Nursing Practice for emergency nursing triage must consist of online modules with highly interactive and innovative triage training that incorporates the latest evidence-based practices and comprehensive content. Relevant topics must cover basic triage concepts, special considerations, such as mass casualty events and the clinical application of triage. The goal of this program is to provide the broad base of content necessary for a practicing RN to effectively, competently, and efficiently triage patients as they enter the Emergency Department. The course will present triage concepts and help the learner apply these concepts to practice. The course must serve as a foundation from which a nurse can learn the principles of performing triage for any patient who enters an Emergency Department using any triage system. The curriculum must create a realistic learning experience by aligning the core content with the way patients actually presents symptoms to the Emergency Department. Whether signs and symptoms involve airway and breathing, wounds, or the head, neck, or trunk, nurses will be equipped to rapidly assess and move the patient quickly to appropriate treatment. Nursing triage in the Emergency Department is critical to ensuring optimal patient outcomes. To ensure patient safety and quality outcomes, medical centers must be certain that every patient who enters the Emergency Department receives the right care from the right provider at the right time - every time. In order to expedite appropriate and competent care for the numbers of patients who enter the Emergency Department the emergency nursing triage curriculum must provide specifically designed training to help emergency nurses make sound clinical judgments at the initial point of emergency care. This training must be provided in order to prepare triage nurses to perform triage for patients. Preparing Emergency Triage Nurses to make the right decisions the emergency nursing triage course must be ideally suited for both new and experienced emergency nurses regardless of the type of triage system used. The following list of Emergency Nursing Triage sessions must be provided in an eLearning environment: Lesson Listings Organized By Chief Complaint: The Emergency Nursing Triage course must be uniquely organized by the most common emergency patient complaints. This innovative approach creates a more realistic learning experience by aligning the core content with the way patients actually present to the Emergency Department. " Introduction to Triage " Chief Complaint: The Trunk " Triage Process Part I " Chief Complaint: Airway and Breathing " Triage Process Part II " Chief Complaint: The Head " Legal Issues in Triage " Chief Complaint: The Face " Special Patient Populations " Chief Complaint: Infectious Diseases " Triage and Challenging Situations " Chief Complaint: Wound and Extremity " Red Flags at Triage " Chief Complaint: Traumatic Injuries " Triage & Violence " Chief Complaint: Behavioral Health " Triage and Disaster/Mass Casualty 3. Handling Psychiatric Emergencies The VA Standards of Emergency Nursing Practice for Handling Psychiatric Emergencies must consist of online modules with comprehensive content that focuses on creating a culture of safe practice and care. The curriculum must include case studies, knowledge checks, and custom live-action videos that explore common psychiatric scenarios and interventions that incorporates the latest evidence-based practices and comprehensive content Handling Psychiatric Emergencies curriculum must offer evidence-based continuing education to help nurses with patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies and ensure safety while providing optimal care. The training must provide an in-depth focus on handling a broad range of psychiatric emergencies and instills confidence in nurses who face these situations. The following list of Handling Psychiatric Emergency sessions must be provided in an eLearning environment: " Custom live-action video, animations, and full-color images to illustrate concepts and procedures " Information about practice, legal/ethical issues, and cultural considerations " Links to drug monographs from Saunders Nursing Drug Handbook " The opportunity to earn continuing education credits from ENA " Concepts from triage to suicide assessment to substance abuse " Custom, live-action videos that explore common psychiatric scenarios and interventions " Features with useful information and tips that may be important to remember, such as Consult the Expert, Legal & Ethical Considerations, and Safety Alerts c. Access for authorized users to an on-line learning center to obtain licensed courseware for Emergency Nursing Orientation, Emergency Nursing Triage, Handling Psychiatric Emergencies each training must be supported by the appropriate kit an Emergency Nursing Orientation Kit Emergency Nursing Triage Kit and a Handling Psychiatric Emergencies Kit . The purchase of this courseware is subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement. d. Perform service-side set-up and product orientation; recorded training sessions, content updated with the latest evidence in emergency nursing, telephone-based implementation training and support, and management of the on-Line maintenance and database backups. e. Ongoing technical support to the designated site administrator. Customer support will include toll-free telephone access to designated help desk staff during business hours of 8:00am to 5:30pm ET, or by contacting the support desk through a web-site. The VA is responsible for providing the following: a. The number of emergency care nurses per site that will have access to the training modules. b. The name of a nurse at each facility to serve as the local program administrator for enrolling nurses in the courses and pulling completion reports. THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. All inquiries received by 4:00 PM Mountain Time, April 21, 2014, will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Your concerns will be considered if you respond to this posting with a similar product/service. Inquiries will only be accepted in writing by mail to Pamela Phillips, BHHCS, 113 Comanche Road, Fort Meade, SD 57741 or by e-mail at contact@example.gov.