Workforce Development Board, BCC Announce $1.14 Million Grant To Help Ease Nursing Shortage
(EMAILWIRE.COM, July 02, 2002 ) The Broward Workforce Development Board has been notified by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration of the award of a $1,135,877.50 H-1B grant to create partnerships and programs to address the county's critical shortage of nurses.
The board, in collaboration with Broward Community College, the North Broward Hospital District, Memorial Healthcare Systems, HCA-East Florida Division, Broward County Schools and partner hospitals throughout the county, will create a three-part program aimed at reaching unemployed/retired registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and high school students with an interest in a nursing career. The support from the partners will total $1,472,602.
"In October of 2000, BCC held a summit, addressing the critical nursing shortage, and what came out of that were six strategies," said Dr. Wanda Thomas, vice president for technical education and provost of the Center for Health Science Education. "BCC can help address three of them through this grant."
The first strategy addresses the need for registered nurses who wish to return to the workplace. Because of the tremendous advances in medicine and medical technology, nurses who leave the hospital setting find they fall behind quickly. One hundred inactive registered nurses will update their knowledge and regain skills through testing, customized e-learning modules and individually designed clinical rotations. This innovative, competency-based approach meets each individual's needs and should help prevent the high attrition rate reported in traditional refresher courses. Course completers will receive an Advanced Technical Certificate (ATC) recognized by the Florida Department of Education as a college credit certificate for those who already have a degree and have upgraded their knowledge and skills. They also will be guaranteed employment.
The second strategy is aimed at providing 100 licensed practical nurses the opportunity to become registered nurses through an online transition program.
Licensed practical nurses generally possess a basic foundation of nursing knowledge and skills and are capable of completing the requirements to become a registered nurse in less time than students with no nursing skills. Additionally, LPNs have demonstrated a commitment to the profession of nursing and are less likely to leave to seek a career elsewhere.
Because opportunities for LPNs in Florida are restricted, most are employed in nursing homes and correctional facilities. The typical LPN to RN transition program fails to overcome roadblocks for the persons who enroll. Many are minorities, single mothers and heads of households and find it difficult to juggle work, family and academic responsibilities.
The grant will provide the participants an online program accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week so they can complete the seven nursing lecture courses in the program at their convenience, unrestrained by transportation, family needs or work restrictions.
Students who wish to attend campus-based lectures or workshops may elect to do so and also will have access to the online portion of the classes at the college's state-of-the-art computer laboratories.
Participating hospital partners will reimburse students for the total cost of the program and guarantee them employment upon completion of the program. The increase in wages for LPNs upon licensure as RNs is more than $7,500 annually.
The third strategy is creation of a summer health science institute for high school students. This strategy addresses increasing the number of high school students entering schools of nursing. Nationally, nursing school enrollments have been 20 percent less over the past five years. Fewer high school graduates are choosing nursing as a career, and those who do are often poorly prepared and require remediation before they begin clinical studies.
The grant program will involve 300 students over two years, offering them the chance to take part in an exciting opportunity to explore careers in nursing while at the same time to prepare them for entry to college with enhanced preparation in reading, writing and mathematics.
Students will be divided into teams of ninth-graders and tenth and eleventh-graders for instruction on three campuses of Broward Community College. The ninth-grade team members will participate in career exploration activities, visit hospital departments, shadow professionals on the job, and participate in academic skills enrichment activities in the classroom.
The tenth and eleventh-grade team members will expand their hospital-based experiences through increased shadowing and academic enrichment activities. Students with appropriate grade-point averages will be eligible to earn college credit toward BCC's nursing program and other health science programs. Credits will be held in escrow and are offered free of charge. Students who graduate from the summer institute will be guaranteed priority admission to BCC's nursing program or any other health science program at the college. Those who complete the summer institute will have the opportunity to graduate from the nursing program and other health science program a year to two years earlier. Students not participating in the institute must complete college preparatory classes and other prerequisites before applying to the health science programs. Those who complete the summer institute will receive prerequisite credits for nursing and/or other health science programs.
Additionally, the grant's industry partners have agreed to provide full scholarships to high school students attending the summer institute. They also will offer full scholarships to BCC's nursing and health science programs if the student completed all the prerequisites and graduated from the summer institute. These students will be guaranteed employment upon graduation from BCC.
"This grant program is not going to solve the nursing shortage, but it is a step in that direction," said BCC President Willis Holcombe. "We're very excited about this grant."
The grant contains several unique aspects, said Mason C. Jackson, executive director of WorkForce One, the grant applicant. The grant offers county, state and national possibilities. It provides customized curriculum for returning professionals, e-learning for student convenience, clinical internships while studying and college credit in escrow, scholarships and guaranteed employment for high school students, he said.
The program also continues a long and successful relationship between WorkForce One and BCC. "This is really a wonderful partnership," Jackson said.
The program will reach out to nurses and students who would be appropriate for inclusion into these programs. Interested individuals may learn more about the programs by contacting Alberta Parker at (954) 201-7812.
-------------------
Produced for Broward Community College
Contacts:
Cindy Schutt
Amber Castonguay
Aces High-Impact Communications
954-972-6131
Jillian Krueger Printz
Cindy Thuma
Broward Community College
954-761-7540
The board, in collaboration with Broward Community College, the North Broward Hospital District, Memorial Healthcare Systems, HCA-East Florida Division, Broward County Schools and partner hospitals throughout the county, will create a three-part program aimed at reaching unemployed/retired registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and high school students with an interest in a nursing career. The support from the partners will total $1,472,602.
"In October of 2000, BCC held a summit, addressing the critical nursing shortage, and what came out of that were six strategies," said Dr. Wanda Thomas, vice president for technical education and provost of the Center for Health Science Education. "BCC can help address three of them through this grant."
The first strategy addresses the need for registered nurses who wish to return to the workplace. Because of the tremendous advances in medicine and medical technology, nurses who leave the hospital setting find they fall behind quickly. One hundred inactive registered nurses will update their knowledge and regain skills through testing, customized e-learning modules and individually designed clinical rotations. This innovative, competency-based approach meets each individual's needs and should help prevent the high attrition rate reported in traditional refresher courses. Course completers will receive an Advanced Technical Certificate (ATC) recognized by the Florida Department of Education as a college credit certificate for those who already have a degree and have upgraded their knowledge and skills. They also will be guaranteed employment.
The second strategy is aimed at providing 100 licensed practical nurses the opportunity to become registered nurses through an online transition program.
Licensed practical nurses generally possess a basic foundation of nursing knowledge and skills and are capable of completing the requirements to become a registered nurse in less time than students with no nursing skills. Additionally, LPNs have demonstrated a commitment to the profession of nursing and are less likely to leave to seek a career elsewhere.
Because opportunities for LPNs in Florida are restricted, most are employed in nursing homes and correctional facilities. The typical LPN to RN transition program fails to overcome roadblocks for the persons who enroll. Many are minorities, single mothers and heads of households and find it difficult to juggle work, family and academic responsibilities.
The grant will provide the participants an online program accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week so they can complete the seven nursing lecture courses in the program at their convenience, unrestrained by transportation, family needs or work restrictions.
Students who wish to attend campus-based lectures or workshops may elect to do so and also will have access to the online portion of the classes at the college's state-of-the-art computer laboratories.
Participating hospital partners will reimburse students for the total cost of the program and guarantee them employment upon completion of the program. The increase in wages for LPNs upon licensure as RNs is more than $7,500 annually.
The third strategy is creation of a summer health science institute for high school students. This strategy addresses increasing the number of high school students entering schools of nursing. Nationally, nursing school enrollments have been 20 percent less over the past five years. Fewer high school graduates are choosing nursing as a career, and those who do are often poorly prepared and require remediation before they begin clinical studies.
The grant program will involve 300 students over two years, offering them the chance to take part in an exciting opportunity to explore careers in nursing while at the same time to prepare them for entry to college with enhanced preparation in reading, writing and mathematics.
Students will be divided into teams of ninth-graders and tenth and eleventh-graders for instruction on three campuses of Broward Community College. The ninth-grade team members will participate in career exploration activities, visit hospital departments, shadow professionals on the job, and participate in academic skills enrichment activities in the classroom.
The tenth and eleventh-grade team members will expand their hospital-based experiences through increased shadowing and academic enrichment activities. Students with appropriate grade-point averages will be eligible to earn college credit toward BCC's nursing program and other health science programs. Credits will be held in escrow and are offered free of charge. Students who graduate from the summer institute will be guaranteed priority admission to BCC's nursing program or any other health science program at the college. Those who complete the summer institute will have the opportunity to graduate from the nursing program and other health science program a year to two years earlier. Students not participating in the institute must complete college preparatory classes and other prerequisites before applying to the health science programs. Those who complete the summer institute will receive prerequisite credits for nursing and/or other health science programs.
Additionally, the grant's industry partners have agreed to provide full scholarships to high school students attending the summer institute. They also will offer full scholarships to BCC's nursing and health science programs if the student completed all the prerequisites and graduated from the summer institute. These students will be guaranteed employment upon graduation from BCC.
"This grant program is not going to solve the nursing shortage, but it is a step in that direction," said BCC President Willis Holcombe. "We're very excited about this grant."
The grant contains several unique aspects, said Mason C. Jackson, executive director of WorkForce One, the grant applicant. The grant offers county, state and national possibilities. It provides customized curriculum for returning professionals, e-learning for student convenience, clinical internships while studying and college credit in escrow, scholarships and guaranteed employment for high school students, he said.
The program also continues a long and successful relationship between WorkForce One and BCC. "This is really a wonderful partnership," Jackson said.
The program will reach out to nurses and students who would be appropriate for inclusion into these programs. Interested individuals may learn more about the programs by contacting Alberta Parker at (954) 201-7812.
-------------------
Produced for Broward Community College
Contacts:
Cindy Schutt
Amber Castonguay
Aces High-Impact Communications
954-972-6131
Jillian Krueger Printz
Cindy Thuma
Broward Community College
954-761-7540
Contact Information:
Broward Community College
Joseph Nchor
Tel:
Email us
This is a press release. Press release distribution and press release services by EmailWire.Com: http://www.emailwire.com/us-press-release-distribution.php.
Broward Community College
Joseph Nchor
Tel:
Email us
This is a press release. Press release distribution and press release services by EmailWire.Com: http://www.emailwire.com/us-press-release-distribution.php.
|
Private Equity, Angel Investing
Equity Alliance / Private Equity, Angel Investing, / IPO, Venture Capital & IR services / Equity Alliance International Equityallianceir.com Penny Stocks to Watch Sign up for hot penny stock picks Gains of 500%+ possible! Premiumstockpicks.com/landing/ Your text Ads & PR Text Ads plus unlimited press releases, One release featured/Day for only $575 per month. Read more on Text Ads & PR Your text Ads Here! Text Ads are only $289 per month. Ads are placed same day. More on Text Ads Advertising |