Tenet South Florida Hospitals And Nova Southeastern University Work Together To Address Crisis In Nursing
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - Tenet South Florida's hospitals and Nova Southeastern University's (NSU) Health Professions Division have teamed up to address a crisis in the region: Florida's nursing shortage. Tenet South Florida announced today it has awarded a two-year, $341,050 grant to the university to help fund the first-ever, entry-level accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program in Broward County.
Additionally, Tenet South Florida will partner with NSU to provide practical experience to the nursing candidates as part of its ongoing strategy to increase the supply of qualified nurses in its hospitals. The accelerated BSN program is expected to produce two graduating classes each year, providing South Florida with an ongoing pool of well-prepared nurses who have practical hospital experience.
The grant ($192,625 the first year and $148,425 in year two) will help hire qualified faculty and begin curriculum development for the NSU program, which will reduce from four to three years the time needed to complete BSN requirements, potentially graduating 34 nurses in 2006 and 46 by 2007.
"One of the serious challenges posed by the nursing shortage is the limited amount of resources available to train nurses to meet the additional demand," said Don S. Steigman, senior vice president, operations, for Tenet South Florida. "Our partnership with the nursing program at Nova Southeastern University is part of our joint commitment to address this problem. We see this as an exciting opportunity to help support our community education and to increase the number of registered nurses in our community."
Administrators at the NSU College of Allied Health and Nursing believe there is a direct correlation between positive outcomes in a hospital and the number of registered nurses (RNs) on staff. To that end, the College has formed this partnership with Tenet South Florida to help meet the demand for quality nurses.
"Our goal is to create a strong, effective curriculum to educate more nurses and prepare them for their bachelor degrees to help meet the nursing shortage and provide nurse leaders of the future," said Dr. Fred Lippman, Chancellor of the Health Professions Division at NSU. "This grant from Tenet South Florida and its 15 hospitals in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties demonstrates their commitment to addressing the growing nurse shortage over the next decade."
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the need for a million new and replacement RNs nationwide by the year 2010. The shortfall in demand/supply is dramatic in certain markets, including Florida, where state data predict a nurse vacancy rate of 22 percent by the year 2015. Currently, the state's nurse vacancy is about 15 percent, representing about 9,800 nursing positions.
"Tenet is working with deans of schools of nursing in each of the regions it serves to create or expand accelerated BSN programs and generate a new supply of qualified nurses in communities most impacted by the nursing shortage," said Lauren Arnold, Tenet's vice president of nursing. "We are pleased to include Nova Southeastern University's nursing program among those that will benefit from this worthwhile outreach program."
According to Diane Whitehead, Ed.D., RN, Chair of the Nursing Department at NSU, the grant and Tenet partnership will enable the department to increase admissions to its growing nursing program, enhance and expand faculty, and move students through the program at an accelerated pace to more quickly address South Florida's nursing shortage.
"Although Tenet Healthcare Corporation has launched a nursing initiative on a national basis, the grant allows schools and local nursing programs to identify critical needs within their own communities and develop programs tailored to meet those needs," added Richard E. Davis, PA-C, Ed.D., Dean of the College of Allied Health and Nursing. "Through the support of Tenet South Florida and its hospitals, Nova Southeastern University will be better able to meet this community's specific faculty and nursing necessities."
About Tenet South Florida
Tenet South Florida hospitals include the number one rated hospital for cardiac services in Florida for 2004, as ranked by HealthGrades, a national healthcare quality company. Tenet South Florida hospitals that earned five-star rankings are Delray Medical Center, Florida Medical Center and Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center.
Tenet South Florida hospitals are Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Coral Gables Hospital, Delray Medical Center, Florida Medical Center, Good Samaritan Medical Center, Hialeah Hospital, Hollywood Medical Center, North Ridge Medical Center, North Shore Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, Palmetto General Hospital, Parkway Regional Medical Center, Pinecrest Rehabilitation Hospital, St. Mary's Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center. Tenet South Florida, part of Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC), can be found on the World Wide Web at www.tenetsouthflorida.com.
About Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2004, is the tenth largest independent, not-for-profit institution of higher education in the United States. It awards associate's, bachelor's, master's, educational specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a variety of fields, including: business and entrepreneurship, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, nursing, computer and information sciences, law, humanities, education, conflict resolution, psychology, counseling, and family programs. The university also offers 16 undergraduate majors through the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. The 300-acre main campus is located in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and is home to the state's largest library facility. Additional NSU student educational centers exist in Tampa, Orlando, Miami, West Palm Beach, and Jacksonville, Fla., and Las Vegas, Nev. For more information, visit www.nova.edu.
Source: Tenet South Florida Hospitals