Published February 20, 2019
In 2018, the Louisiana Center for Nursing reported that in 2017 schools in the state
could not accommodate some 1,400 qualified applicants for registered nurse training
due to faculty-capacity issues. Simply put, there were not enough nurses teaching
nursing in enough classrooms.
Emerald McIntyre/不良研究所 Photo Services
To have a shortage of nursing faculty at north Louisiana schools naturally results
in a shortage of nurses. This dismal balance, however, is about to change.听
不良研究所 Kitty DeGree School of Nursing is participating
in the Nursing Adjunct Faculty Project. Also in the project are Louisiana Tech University
and Delta Community College nursing programs. The goal is to graduate up to 180 more
nurses among the three schools than they would otherwise have the capacity to produce
over a three-year period. To reach this goal, more adjunct nursing instructors will
be hired and more students accepted. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation recently
awarded Workforce Development Board 83 a $300,000 grant to employ qualified nurses
as adjunct clinical instructors. The Living Well Foundation provided an additional
$44,000 to the WDB-83.
Wendy Bailes, Ph.D., RN, Associate Professor and Interim Director of Kitty DeGree
School of Nursing, explained, saying, 鈥淭he Kitty DeGree School of Nursing has had
the privilege to collaborate with the Northeast Louisiana Healthcare Alliance (NELAHCA),
Workforce Development Board 83 and our fellow nursing programs at Louisiana Delta
Community College and Louisiana Tech University to provide ways to potentially increase
our region鈥檚 nursing workforce through increased admissions.鈥�
鈥淭hrough the collaboration, Kitty DeGree School of Nursing will be able to increase
the enrollment number up to 10 additional students per semester, from the budgeted
amount. This number is determined at the end of each semester and is affected by multiple
factors,鈥� Bailes said.
听
鈥淚t is only through the hard work of the Workforce Development Board 83 in writing
the grant and the Northeast Louisiana Healthcare Alliance鈥檚 willingness to not only
provide, but encourage, their master鈥檚 prepared nurses to step into the clinical faculty
role,鈥� said Bailes.
Using the new grant, the Workforce Development Board will provide for six adjunct
instructor positions. Nine healthcare facilities have agreed to host clinicals for
students in nursing programs.
鈥淪tudents will benefit from working with advanced practice nurses in the nurses鈥� home
setting. Our students who commute from rural parishes may find a clinical site close
to home! We are excited about the direction this will take us as the school continues
to work and serve within this community,鈥� Bailes said.
鈥淭his investment will support a community that has come together to make critical
strides in improving quality of care,鈥� said Michael Tipton, president of the BCBS
Foundation. 鈥淭he nurses who graduate from this program will provide an estimated additional
15,600 patient-care services in the region.鈥�
