Schools awarded Nursing Education grants

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Nursing education grants awarded to six college partnerships - East Bay Business Times:

The Foundation for California Community Colleges and the Kaiser Permanente Fund for Health Education have awarded six grants of up to $50,000 each to improve nursing education.

The grants were awarded to six partnerships between two-year community college nursing programs and four-year university programs. The partnerships were formed so that nurses can seamlessly move from a two-year program to a bachelor’s program to continue their nursing education.
The grants are the outcome of a study by the California Institute for Nursing Health Care and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, which found that as health care becomes more complex, a nursing shortage continues and patients expect better and safer care, more nurses with bachelor’s and master’s degrees will be needed. Seventy percent of California nurses have two-year degrees, and only 26 percent go on to get four-year or graduate degrees, the CINHC report found.

“Recent studies clearly demonstrate that a higher prevalence of baccalaureate- and masters-prepared RNs at the bedside positively impact patient outcomes,” said Dr. Jan Boller, who led the development of the CINHC study. “It is critical that California move forward to prepare a better educated nursing work force, and equipping colleges with the resources to create a new education model will help set an example that can be used throughout the country.”

Two partnerships were funded by Sacramento-based FCCC through its WellPoint Endoment:

• Mira Costa College, Palomar College, and San Diego City College with California State University San Marcos
• Ventura College and Moorpark College with California State University Channel Islands

Four partnerships were funded by the Kaiser Permanente Fund for Health Education:

• Los Medanos College, Contra Costa College, Ohlone College, Chabot College and Merritt College with Cal State East Bay
• College of the Redwoods and Shasta College with Humboldt State University
• Cabrillo College and Hartnell College with California State University Monterey Bay
• City College of San Francisco, College of San Mateo and Contra Costa College with San Francisco State University

Each partnership will first develop a model for nursing education that will be implemented later in the year.