Central Louisiana News

NATCHITOCHES  – Northwestern State University is expanding two programs that will  make it easier for paramedics, military medics and people with  undergraduate science degrees to transition into high-paying nursing  jobs. The program, which will help fill critical roles in northwest and  Central Louisiana’s rapidly shrinking healthcare workforce, is funded in  part by a $1.8 million grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of  Louisiana Foundation.

 

NSU  hosted a program Sept. 14 to announce the grant and thank the Blue  Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, as well as participating  partners. NSU faculty and administrators, area legislators and  represenatives from the University of Louisiana System and the Board of  Regents were on hand for the announcement.

 

The  grant will be matched with $1.2 million in private support from several  partners, as well as $2 million from NSU. Partners include Christus  Bossier Emergency Hospital, Christus Coushatta Health Care Center,  Natchitoches Regional Medical Center, Christus Highland Medical Center,  Christus St. Frances Cabrini, RoyOMartin, Rapides Regional Medical  Center, Willis-Knighton Health System and the NSU Foundation.  The  partners are not only providing financial resources, but also space in  their facilities for use as clinical sites.

 

As  many as 30 percent of Louisiana’s nurses are projected to leave the  profession over the next 10 years due to retirements, burnout, and other  reasons. Fewer nurses means that those still working are stretched thin  — which can affect the quality of healthcare patients receive.

 

To  get ahead of the curve, NSU is partnering with nearly a dozen other  healthcare organizations in the region to add 300 nurses to the  workforce in the next four years, and more than 1,000 nurses by 2032.

 

This  initiative will add more nursing faculty to two existing NSU programs,  which will now be able to accommodate more students over expanded hours  like nights and weekend.

• The  first program will allow nationally registered paramedics and military  medics to complete an Associate of Science in Nursing degree program in  as few as three semesters by applying already completed coursework to  the degree requirements. 
• The  second is for people who already have a Bachelor of Science degree and  allows them to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in only four  semesters.

“All three of these groups — paramedics, military medics, and Bachelor of Science degree holders — bring prior knowledge and critical thinking skills that enable them to provide skilled care at an accelerated rate.  Because many of them are already working to support themselves and  their families, we needed to offer more times for them to be able to  enroll. This grant will also help us offer more financial support to students,” said Dr. Joel Hicks, dean of NSU’s College of Nursing and School of Allied Health. 

“A  program like this allows NSU to, say, tap into a teaching clinical  space provided by one hospital for a class taught by a qualified working  nurse whose day job is at another hospital, which is something that  didn’t happen before. The university has brought industry ‘competitors’  to the table to make a collective impact on this statewide problem,”  said Michael Tipton, president of the Blue Cross Foundation. 

“NSU  takes great responsibility in being a resource for the communities in  the region we serve,” said NSU President Dr. Marcus Jones.  “This grant  from the Blue Cross Foundation further enables us to improve healthcare  in rural or underserved communities. As the demand for healthcare  professionals is expected to rise, we are working to provide pathways  for individuals to acquire the credentials they need to make an impact  in their communities.”

Information on Northwestern State University’s College of Nursing can be found at https://nursing.nsula.edu/nursing-programs/.   Information on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation can be found at www.BCBSLAFoundation.org.

BCBS of La Foundation & Partners: 

The  Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation announced a $1.8 million  grant to assist Northwestern State University’s College of Nursing in  filling critical roles in northwest and central Louisiana’s healthcare  workforce.  The announcement was made with NSU President Dr. Marcus  Jones and Michael  Tipton, president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana  Foundation, center, with Dr. Joel Hicks, dean of the College of Nusing,  and representatives from partners that include Christus  Bossier Emergency Hospital, Christus Coushatta Health Care Center,  Natchitoches Regional Medical Center, Christus Highland Medical Center,  Christus St. Frances Cabrini, RoyOMartin, Rapides Regional Medical  Center, Willis-Knighton Health System and the NSU Foundation.  

Original source can be found here.