The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently awarded its first $50,000 AACN Impact Research Grant to Ruth Kleinpell, director of the Center for Clinical Research, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and professor of Rush University College of Nursing.

Kleinpell will explore the impact of telemedine on ICU nursing care with co-investigators from Sutter Health, in the Sacramento-Sierra region of Calif., Baptist Health South Florida in Miami, Resurrection Health Care in Chicago, UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester and Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

[See also: U.S. rural hospitals utilizing telehealth for ICU support.]

They will conduct a two-phase study that includes national benchmarking of a random sample of 350 nurses who work in tele-ICUs to identify the impact of telemedicine on nursing care, including barriers and benefits.

Kleinpell received AACN's 2010 Flame of Excellence Award for sustained regional and national contributions to acute and critical care nursing. A fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in Washington, D.C., American College of Critical Care Medicine in Mount Prospect, Ill. and Academy of Nurse Practitioners in Austin, Texas, she edited "Outcome Assessment in Advanced Practice Nursing," 2nd edition, which earned a 2009 Advanced Practice Nursing Book of the Year award from the American Journal of Nursing.

AACN Impact Research Grants support clinical inquiry that drives change in high acuity and critical care nursing practice. Priority projects address gaps in clinical research at the organization or system level and translation of these findings to bedside clinicians. Projects include use of technology to assess patients and manage outcomes; ways to create a healing and humane environment; and processes and systems to optimize high acuity and critical care nursing.

[See also: Technology helps combat sepsis at Banner Health.]

In 2012, AACN will award two Impact Research Grants, which will increase to three in 2013. The grants are available to established researchers and beginning researchers with mentors, and applicants may request up to $50,000 in total costs for a maximum of three years.

AACN developed the Impact Research Grants in an effort to support clinical research for high acuity and critical care nursing. The association also continues to award the following grants annually: the AACN-Sigma Theta Tau Critical Care Grant for up to $10,000, as many as three AACN-Philips Medical Systems Outcomes Grants for up to $10,000 each, up to two AACN-Edwards Lifesciences Nurse-driven Clinical Practice Outcomes Grants for up to $5,000 each, and the AACN Physio-Control Clinical Practice Grant for up to $1,500.