ST. JAMES HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE
IN PROGRAM TO ADDRESS NURSING SHORTAGE
Foundation is one of 10 selected for nationwide program
Local program will establish an Academy for Advanced Nursing Workforce Solutions
The St. James Healthcare Foundation has been selected as one of 10 foundations nationwide to participate in Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future, a new national initiative to develop and test solutions to America’s nursing shortage.
Led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Northwest Health Foundation, the program encourages local foundations to act as catalysts in developing grassroots strategies to establish a stable, adequate nursing workforce. To help develop solutions and lead efforts within the region, the St. James Healthcare Foundation has been awarded a two-year grant of $246,518.
“Not having enough nurses affects the quality of care that patients receive throughout Montana,” said Kevin Dennehy, executive director of the St. James Healthcare Foundation. “We are extremely honored to be selected to help identify solutions to this problem. Through this national program, we will work with others in Montana to teach nurses across the state ‘success skills’. Success skills are defined as those skills not typically taught in traditional nursing education programs yet are quite critical to developing a highly motivated, well-trained, and professional nursing workforce. We look forward to helping the people of Montana through our collaborative work on this program, and are eager to share lessons we learn with other communities across the nation.”
The St. James Healthcare Foundation along with St. James Healthcare, Montana Tech of the University of Montana, and The National Center for Health Care Informatics (NCHCI) have established an Academy for Advanced Nursing Workforce Solutions. This innovative program is intended for nursing students who are in their summer months prior to graduation from a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program or an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program.. The Academy will focus on those skills, or more appropriately, the lack of skills, identified in many studies that lead to nursing attrition.
Organizations selected for the program are exploring an array of initiatives that meet their community’s specific needs, including recruiting and retaining nursing faculty, developing new roles for nurses in the care setting, and empowering nurses to better assume leadership roles. Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future is a five-year, $10 million initiative.
“Nurses are the cornerstone of our healthcare system and want nothing more than to provide safe and compassionate care for their patients in supportive and efficient work environments,” said Susan B. Hassmiller, R.N., Ph.D., F.A.A.N., senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “This unique program brings foundations together to learn from each other and engage others as they address a very serious problem in their communities. This partnership of the philanthropic community provides an opportunity to foster innovations that will help address the nursing crisis beyond just what any one foundation can do.”
Across America, patients rely on nurses for personal, quality care delivered in their own communities – which is threatened when there is a nursing shortage. In fact, the nursing shortage has become so severe in some communities that it is affecting patient care and safety, health care costs, and patient outcomes. Experts say the causes of the nursing shortage are complex and range from rapid population growth in several states, to an aging nurse workforce, and poor working conditions.
“As nursing shortages vary across communities, so must the solutions – that’s why a range of programs is being explored through this program,” said Judith Woodruff, J.D., director of strategic initiatives of NWHF and PIN program director. “We are pleased to offer this grant to St. James Healthcare, which is well-qualified to explore solutions for the people of Montana. One size won’t fit all - and we need solutions that will work close to home.”
For more information about the PIN Grant, please contact the Foundation at 406-782-5640.