The Pitt Memorial Hospital Foundation was established in 1980 and supports both hospital and community-based programs. Its’ Community Benefits and Health Initiatives Grant Program awards $1 million annually to establish and partner with other organizations in the community. The foundation recognizes the critical role nursing plays in the health of the community and has begun funding projects responsive to the nursing shortage. The RWJ Partners in Nursing initiative constitutes a major investment by the Foundation in this area of interest and will be carried out through collaboration with the East Carolina University School of Nursing and its affiliated partner the East Carolina Center for Nursing Leadership. The purpose of this project is to mobilize rural nurses to be effective partners and leaders in creating healthier communities in eastern NC. Rural Nurse Leadership Councils will be formed and given opportunities to gain insight into innovative administrative and educational practices and to connect through a consortium of peers for continued networking using virtual technologies. These councils will facilitate a plan to resolve county level workforce needs with a focus on assuring an adequate supply of general staff nurses, nurse educators, and nurse leaders. |
This proposal focuses on two major objectives. The first is to mobilize rural nurse leader and educator ability to partner, evaluate, and develop interventions to solve local nursing work force issues. ECCNL’s program staff trained in facilitation will recruit and convene area councils to identify trends, needs and issues that contribute to the region’s nursing problems. ECCNL staff will provide the councils with information about regional successes, innovative ideas and researched strategies for addressing those concerns. Creative strategies for solving nursing workforce concerns will be translated into both an Action and Evaluation Plan to be implemented by the councils with the assistance and guidance of the ECCNL. To support implementation of the identified strategies, $18,000 of RWJ funding will be reserved for execution of these innovative ideas. Nursing councils will be able to apply for these funds to execute new ideas and interventions.
The second objective is to expand the educational competency of rural eastern NC nurse leaders and educators. To that end the PRN project will offer online continuing education to meet educator competency requirements of the NC Board of Nursing and to equip nurse leaders in the rural healthcare workplace. Additionally, mentored cohorts, virtual support groups, online MSN programs, and minority recruitment initiatives will be implemented to provide formal educational advancement. |
