More than 150 nurses from Vanderbilt University Medical Center convened in Langford Auditorium recently for an occasion that happens once every two years: the Nursing Staff Bylaws Convention.

A small group of acute care nurse practitioners and physician assistants urgently crowded around the bedside of a mannequin hooked up to a ventilator and an IV.

Executive Chief Nursing Officer Marilyn Dubree, MSN, R.N., reviewed the challenges of the past year and highlighted what Vanderbilt University Medical Center nursing is doing to prepare for the future at last week’s State of Nursing address, scheduled to coincide with National Nurses Week.

In 2008, Vanderbilt nurses participated in a nationwide survey to determine how they spent their time, and it revealed that only 16 percent was spent on direct patient care, while 28 percent was spent on documentation.