UAMS Has Key Role in $4.9 Million Grant to Educate Nurses

By Nate Hinkel

 

 

 

March 5, 2012 | The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing will play a key role in a $4.9 million federal effort to train 1,500 Arkansas nurses and address a shortage in that workforce.

The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services and the Arkansas Workforce Investment Board received a $4,952,848 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for the Arkansas Partnership for Nursing’s Future project. The collaborative effort will train at least 1,500 people for careers in the nursing profession, which range from certified nursing assistants and licensed practical nurses to registered nurses and beyond.

The grant will target qualified workers who are on waiting lists to enter nursing programs, those in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, unemployed and dislocated workers, and those working in the health care field looking to further their education and credentials, especially workers in long-term care facilities.

“It is well documented and supported that the future demand for registered nurses is a red flag in our health care system both nationally and in Arkansas,” said Lorraine Frazier, Ph.D., R.N., dean of the UAMS College of Nursing. “As the flagship nursing program in our state, we are excited to play a large role in taking a proactive approach to preparing the nursing workforce to meet those future needs.”

The UAMS College of Nursing, along with the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges (AATYC), Arkansas State Board of Nursing, Arkansas Hospital Association, Arkansas Health Care Association, Arkansas Chamber of Commerce and Arkansas Community Foundation are all partners in the effort.

“Clearly it’s going to take a collaborative approach like this one to address the health care workforce shortages in the state,” said UAMS Chancellor Dan Rahn, M.D. “In the last year I’ve been heavily involved in working with health care leaders in the state to identify the workforce shortcomings in Arkansas and ways to address them. The nursing profession will play a tremendous role in meeting the needs of Arkansans. We are honored to play an integral part in working as a team toward a solution by using innovative recruitment and training strategies.”

Arkansas was one of 43 grantees who received more than $183 million in federal H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants. The overall goal is to reduce H-1B visas for foreign workers by educating and training Americans to fill those jobs. The registered nurse and career pathway to becoming a registered nurse were the focus of Arkansas’ grant application.

It’s estimated that the number of registered nurses will increase more than 27 percent in Arkansas by 2018. According to the health care industry, more than 1,500 qualified nursing applicants are turned away each year in Arkansas because of limited capacity. The main barriers to increasing the number of nurses include a shortage of nursing faculty and clinical opportunities. To address that, the project will use distance education technology to educate students around the state and develop a preceptor training program that will increase the number of preceptors, allowing clinical opportunities for students 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

UAMS, which will receive $2.8 million, and the AATYC will be the primary sub-recipients of grant funds to carry out those roles. UAMS will coordinate with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing to establish a statewide preceptor training and certification program in an effort to double the number of clinical opportunities available to students. UAMS also will provide distance education classes, recruit students, and coordinate the participation of statewide Bachelor of Science Nursing programs and long-term care facilities.

The Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges will coordinate the participation of statewide associate degree nursing programs and recruit students.

The Arkansas Department of Workforces Services also awarded the UAMS College of Nursing a grant of $300,000 to complement the U.S. Department of Labor sub-award of $2.8 million. The additional award is designated to support nursing recruitment and retention efforts. A large portion of the award is to be used through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future matching funds program.