Richard Alan Ridge, PhD, RN, MBA, NEA-BC, CNL
(Richard A Ridge)
Biography
I began my healthcare career as a Hospital Corpsman in the U.S. Navy during the waning years of the Vietnam war. After completing my Baccalaureate nursing education at the University of Massachusetts, I began my professional nursing career in acute spinal cord injury. As a clinician, I have since practiced in a wide range of clinical specialties in acute care, including general medicine, psychiatry, orthopedics, and oncology.
I have held various administrative and educator positions in academic health care settings, including University of Virginia, Fletcher Allen Healthcare, the University of Vermont, Meridian Health, the New Jersey State Nurses Association, and Texas Children’s Hospital. I have served at the Director level in operational and education support leadership positions, Chief Nurse Executive, Director of Nursing Innovation and Outcomes, and as a nursing professional development specialist.
I have consulted to nursing and health care executives in a broad range of nursing operations related areas, including clinical innovation, staffing and scheduling systems, care delivery model redesign, patient outcomes evaluation, recruitment and retention, patient and staff safety, quality improvement, and cultural competency development. I am an active member of the Virginia State Nurses Association, The American Organization of Nurse Executives, and Sigma.
I have extensive experience in academic and community, not-for-profit integrated healthcare systems within service lines and matrix reporting structures. Concurrent with my career on the health care delivery side, I have held several part-time and adjunct faculty positions at Thomas Edison State University, Kean University, Georgian Court University and Baylor College of Medicine.
Consultant Focus
As a consultant to nursing and health care executives, I address a broad range of nursing operations and strategic areas, including clinical innovation, staffing and scheduling systems, care delivery model redesign, patient outcomes evaluation, recruitment and retention, patient and staff safety, and cultural competency development.
As a consultant to individual nurses at all levels, I assist clients with decisions and issues related to career transitions, including: burnout, personal branding, job and career change strategies and searches, networking, starting a business, and retirement planning.
Certifications
- Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP)
- Nurse Executive (NE-BC)
- Nurse Executive Advanced (NEA-BC)
Research Focus
My current research interests relate to studying relationships between individual nurses, care process and patient and family, staff, and organizational outcomes. I am developing proposals that use electronic health system data to identify learning needs of licensed and unlicensed nursing staff in acute care. Additional general interests include health systems, nursing workforce, implementation science and innovation.Teaching Focus
My primary teaching focus in the CNL program has been in Care Environment I and II, and in Finance and Resource Management and Resilient Leadership and Resource Management in Complex Health Systems in the DNP program. I am committed to helping students at all levels understand and analyze health systems at the macro, meso and micro level and to develop effective leadership and management skills to advance nursing. I have a passion for helping nurses develop finance and other general business competencies. I work with students to critically appraise, analyze, and apply data and information related to quality improvement, health care policy, health care operations, and all aspects of nursing work force and professional development.Publications
Journal Articles
Ridge, R. A. (2021). Leveraging the nurse scientist role through entrepreneurial innovation. Nursing Management, 52(4), 32-38. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000737620.13138.e1
Ridge, R. A. (2019). Managing bed bugs in healthcare settings. Nursing Management, 50(8), 40-45. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000575320.85830.0f
Ridge, R.A. (2015). Putting the “I” into integrity. Nursing Management, 46(IV), 52-54. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000462381.26593.91
Ridge, R.A. (2015). More than a cliché: Choosing your battles wisely. Nursing Management, 46(VII), 53-54. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000466784.60511.71
Ridge, R.A. (2015). A look at nurse consultancy. Nursing Management, 46(IIX), 52-54. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000469359.02437.2e
Ridge, R.A. (2015). Lessons from a children’s hospital. Nursing Management, 46(IX), 53-54. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000470778.25354.ec
Ridge, R.A. (2015). Mastering interest-based negotiations. Nursing Management, 46(X), 53-55. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000471588.16314.0f
Ridge, R.A. (2014). Performance Potential Series Part 1: Meet your e-presence. Nursing Management, 45(X), 46-50. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000453935.48386.93
Ridge, R.A. (2014). Performance Potential Series Part 2: Linking in to your professional network. Nursing Management, 45(XI), 50-54. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000455741.09615.45
Ridge, R.A. (2014). Performance Potential Series Part 3: Restart with Resilience. Nursing Management, 45(XII), 48-52. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000456650.94779.1d
Ridge, R.A. (2011). Future of nursing special: Practicing to potential. Nursing Management, 42(VI), 32-37. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000397840.10388.4f
Ridge, R.A. (2010). Becoming a CNE. The First 100 Days. Nursing Management, 41(VIII), 49-52. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000384171.31629.2e
Ridge, R.A. (2008). Doing right to prevent wrong-site surgery. Nursing2008, 38(III), 24-25. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nurse.0000312612.36385.cc
Antonacci, L., Ridge, R.A. (2008). Patients: Safety: Anticoagulants. Nursing2008, 38(VIII), 22-23. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nurse.0000327479.09581.d6
Ridge, R.A. (2007). Strategize for conflict management. Men in Nursing, 2(I), 32-36. https://doi.org/10.1097/01244664-200702000-00012
Ridge, R.A. (2007). Go beyond the five rights: As medication safety knowledge has expanded, it’s time to add three more rights: right assessment, right reason, and right documentation. Men in Nursing, 2(V), 32-36. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.min.0000295695.92599.7b
Ridge, R.A. (2007). Patient: Safety: Boosting Insulin Safety. Nursing2007, 37(II), 14-15. https://doi.org/10.1097/00152193-200702000-00011
Ridge, R.A. (2006). Consider this. Challenge: Regulatory requirements. Nursing Management, 37(III), 56.
Ridge, R.A. (2006). Patient: Safety: Focusing on JCAHO National Patient Safety Goals. Nursing2006, 36(XI), 14-15. https://doi.org/10.1097/00152193-200611000-00010
Ridge, R.A. (2005). A dynamic duo: Staff development and you. Nursing Management, 36(VII), 28-35. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006247-200507000-00007
Ridge, R.A. & Goodson, A.D. (2000). “The relationship between multidisciplinary discharge outcomes and functional status in total hip replacement”. Journal of Orthopaedic Nursing, 19(I), 71-82. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006416-200019010-00014
Glick,D.F, Thompson, K.M., & Ridge, R.A. (1999). “Population-Based Research: The foundation for development, management, and evaluation of a community nursing center”. Family and Community Health, 21(IV), 41-50. https://doi.org/10.1097/00003727-199901000-00006
Books
Ridge, R.A. & Torre, C. (2014). The New Jersey Nurse’s Ethical, Regulatory, and Legislative Guide to Professional Practice. The New Jersey State Nurses Association.
Ridge, R.A. & Jones, C.B. (1998). “Systems Theory and Analysis in Health Care and Nursing” In: Nursing Issues in Leading and Managing Change. Edited by J. Lancaster. St. Mosby & Co.
Book Sections
Ridge, R. A. (2020). Economic issues in nursing and health care. In E. E. Friberg (Ed.), Conceptual foundations: The bridge to professional nursing practice (7th ed., pp. 110-151). Elsevier, Inc.
Ridge, R.A. (2016). Economic Issues in Nursing and Health Care. In E.E. Friberg & J. Creasia (Eds.), Conceptual Foundations: The Bridge to Professional Nursing Practice (6th ed.) (pp. 122-159). Elsevier Mosby
Columns, Editorials and Op-Eds
Ridge, R. A. (2022, August). Occupational stress: Definition, impact, and strategic mitigation. Virginia Nurse Today. https://www.healthecareers.com/nurse-resources/nursing-publications/virginia.
Ridge, R. A. (2022, February). Reporting: A matter of ethics. Virginia Nurse Today. https://www.healthecareers.com/nurse-resources/nursing-publications/virginia.