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ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS
Coalition for Nursing Careers in California
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The Coalition for Nursing Careers in California (CNCC) was founded in 1999 by a volunteer group of professional nurses, nurse educators, and health care administrators. They came together with a mutual goal of developing solutions to address the nursing shortage. The mission of the CNCC is to enhance the image of nursing and attract a diverse pool of applicants to nursing education programs. This will be accomplished by launching a multi-media, multicultural outreach and recruitment campaign targeting 16 to 24 year old students. This effort is vital to ensure that the registered nurse workforce mirrors the demographics of California. For example, in 1998, thirty-one percent of the population in California was Latino. However, this group represents only 4% of the nursing workforce. Equally disturbing, enrollment in registered nursing education programs has declined for the fifth consecutive year. Response to these issues is crucial in order to build an adequate, qualified, and culturally diverse nursing workforce. Below are some recent highlights reflecting progress of the CNCC.
Executive Director Hired
CNCC recently hired Susan F. Cheney, RN, BA as its first Executive Director. Susan has extensive experience in international health care issues, internet health care strategies, health care issues in emerging economies, research and development, quality management, and in forging partnerships and joint ventures.
Susan's first priorities will be the development of the www.ChooseNursing.com website, collaboration with NurseWeek Magazine to create a Special Ambassador edition focusing on the nursing shortage, applying for foundation grants and assembling a Board of Directors. Once assembled, the Board of Directors will also be instrumental in building partnerships with health care institutions, nursing schools, government officials, labor entities, media representatives and career advisors representing California's diverse population.
New Partner
CNCC recently formalized its strategic alliance with NurseWeek Magazine. NurseWeek's Fall 2001 issue will promote the positive merits of the nursing profession. A pull out section of resource information will be included. The Ambassador Program will be highlighted in an introductory article driving readers to the www.ChooseNursing.com website. Once on site, downloadable materials will be available for participants of the Ambassador Program. These outreach presentation tools can be used to promote and market the nursing profession as a career option to young people. An incentive award for completion of the Ambassador Program is being negotiated. In addition, experiences of the Ambassadors will be featured as informative updates in future publications of NurseWeek. A pull out poster to be distributed to high schools will also be in this issue. This is a multi-purpose poster, which will promote nursing as a profession and career option. It will also encourage students to access www.ChooseNursing.com for further information. Among other features will be an article discussing the workforce crisis and nurse profiles reflecting the wealth of diversity and opportunities in nursing.
Website Enhancement
CNCC launched www.cncc.org in September 2000. Visitors to this website can find information about CNCC, access current research on nursing workforce issues, learn about leading nurse professionals, and link to numerous research sources, educational institutions, professional associations and CNCC sponsors and partners. CNCC will launch www.ChooseNursing.com in the fall of 2001. This website will serve as a centralized resource for nursing and career information and provide links to health care organizations, nursing schools, nursing associations, government information sites, scholarship information and sources, etc. A $2,000 scholarship will be offered on the www.ChooseNursing.com website every month to qualified applicants for a period of five months.
New Sponsors
CNCC has raised over $100,000 from Catholic Healthcare West, Kaiser Permanente, NurseWeek Magazine, Summit Medicare Center, Sutter Health Systems, the University of California at San Francisco's School of Nursing and the Association of California Nurse Leaders.
If you have an interest in learning more about CNCC, contact Susan F. Cheney at susan.cheney@kp.org or (510) 9873095.
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