REGIONAL UPDATES
Regional Update — HASD&IC
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Nursing Shortage Task Force
The Healthcare Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties (HASD&IC) formed a Nursing Shortage Task Force more than two years ago, representing clinical and academic nurses, to address shortages locally. Accomplishments have included expanding a community-wide critical-care course; starting an OR training program; and developing a training program to prepare staff to move from med-surg to intermediate care to critical care, to be shared across all hospitals wishing to participate.
A Staff Nurse Retention Report was completed based on a survey conducted of all licensed registered nurses in the county. This information has been valuable in addressing work environment issues and is used by the newly created community-wide HR Nurse Recruiters Committee. This group currently is targeting middle and high school students.
Two new academic programs to assist candidates in accelerating moves from other fields into nursing will begin enrolling students in 2002.
In process with the Task Force are efforts to standardize competencies and develop a manager education program.
SDSU/Hospital Partnership
The NURSES NOW program, designed to provide additional nurses to the community workforce, completed a very successful first year. With the partnership increasing from six to eight hospitals funding the program with San Diego State University (SDSU), new students grew from 120 to 150.
The partnership continues to bring media attention to the nurse shortage and to community awareness. As a result, The Community Health Group established a Nursing Scholarship Program, and The California Endowment awarded a three-year grant in support of the SDSU NURSES NOW partnership.
Areas to be developed include strengthening cultural competencies in the nursing curriculum; increasing student recruitment, especially among populations that are under-represented in the nursing profession; and the continued growth of scholarship support for nursing students.
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