Carol Pullen, Ed.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center assistant
dean of rural nursing education, normally finds herself teaching in front
of audiences of student nurses. On March 26, she presented at a forum before
a group of her nursing peers and Congressional legislative aides in Washington,
D.C.
Dr. Pullen was one of four chosen nationally to highlight an innovative
strategy, supported by a federal program, that increases and diversifies
the nursing workforce. About 300 health professionals, nursing school deans
and legislative aides met in a U.S. Senate meeting room. Sen. Tim Hutchinson,
R-Ariz., also made a call for a national campaign to overcome the nations
nursing shortage.
Dr. Pullen spoke about a $911,000 grant she directs that is making it
possible for Nebraska registered nurses living in rural areas to earn bachelors
degrees in nursing in their community. The five-year grant was awarded
by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Nursing Division last
year. Judy Billings, Ph.D., assistant dean of the UNMC College of Nursing
Kearney Division and Gloria Gross, Ph.D., assistant dean of the UNMC College
of Nursing West Nebraska Division, are co-project directors.
It was exciting to have an opportunity to talk about how our program
is helping Nebraska registered nurses, mostly in rural areas, achieve their
goals of earning bachelors degrees in nursing, Dr. Pullen said.
Todays nursing work force is estimated at 2.7 million with the average
age estimated at 45.2 years, according to a 2000 survey by the Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Health Professions.
Dr. Pullen said higher degrees in nursing are important because the
typical rural nurse provides care more independently with less support,
which requires a greater diversity of knowledge and skills. The skills
of assessment, critical thinking, resource management, and culturally competent
care are important to enable nurses to function in a variety of roles and
settings, she said.
The national forum addressed innovative strategies for strengthening
the nursing work force. It was organized by the George Mason University
Center for Health Policy, Research and Ethics and sponsored by the W.K.
Kellogg Foundation and Friends of the Division of Nursing in affiliation
with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
This forum featured federally-supported exemplary programs from across
the United States that have recruited and retained people into the nursing
work force with creativity and innovation, said Mary Wakefield, director
of the Center for Health Policy, Research and Ethics at George Mason University,
Washington, D.C.
Since the February release of a federal nursing survey, HRSA analysts
have projected the effect of three trends: a decrease in the number of
young people entering nursing, the rapid aging of the current work force
and the retirement of babyboomers.
In Nebraska, it is difficult for rural registered nurses who want to
earn a bachelors degree in a traditional campus setting that requires
attendance in class at a certain place and time, Dr. Pullen said. By using
distance learning technologies, we break down these barriers and make our
program available statewide to better serve Nebraskas rural nursing needs.
With the program, students can take most of their classes via home computer
and receive clinical experiences in the local area, Dr. Pullen said. It
allows students the flexibility to study when its convenient for them.
Many nurses have job and family commitments that make it difficult
for them to earn a degree because of geographical barriers, Dr. Pullen
said. We think this program will accelerate the movement toward a nursing
workforce that will meet the nursing and health-care needs of the next
decade.”
The UNMC program uses Internet-based courses and CD-ROM technology.
Dr. Pullen said grant funding provides students with a laptop computer,
expert technical support, including evening and weekend support and orientation
for technology training to ensure students have adequate technical skills
to participate in web-based classes.
The UNMC presentation is available on the Internet on the George Mason
University website at http://chpre.gmu.edu through April 27.