FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Partnership Announced to Address Region's Nursing Shortage
SDSU School of Nursing and Area Hospitals Team up on $1.3 Million Program to Increase the Number of Nurses Available for EmploymentCONTACT: Jack Beresford, (619) 594-5204, jack.beresford@sdsu.edu
SAN DIEGO, Friday, June 9, 2000 - In an effort to fill some of the estimated 700 nursing vacancies in San Diego and Imperial county hospitals, the San Diego State University School of Nursing will partner with six of the region's biggest hospitals to significantly increase the number of nurses available for employment.
Currently, SDSU's School of Nursing - the largest supplier of nurses in San Diego and Imperial counties - has more qualified applicants than the program can accommodate. As part of the "Nurses Now" partnership, participating hospitals and health care systems will each provide a three-year commitment to fund one new faculty member. The six new faculty members will allow the school to nearly double enrollment - an estimated 120 additional students - during the next three semesters. The total value of the hospitals' commitment to the partnership is $1.3 million over three years.
Dr. Patt Wahl, director of the SDSU School of Nursing, says that while the first Nurses Now graduates won't be ready for three years, the program is a step toward a regional solution.
"The current nursing shortage is a challenge that requires a community-wide effort to resolve," said Wahl. "As a major supplier of nurses to local hospitals, the SDSU School of Nursing is in a unique position to assume a leadership role and bring together local hospitals to address this important issue."
The six participating hospitals include Sharp Healthcare, Alvarado Hospital, Scripps Health, Kaiser Permanente, Children's Hospital and Health Center and UCSD Medical Center. Wahl says that after the hospitals have fulfilled their three-year commitment, SDSU's School of Nursing will evaluate the program and if the nursing shortage is still a community issue, the university will fund permanent faculty positions.
"Recruiting top-quality nurses to San Diego is extremely difficult," said Darlene Wetton, chief nursing officer, Alvarado Hospital and Medical Center/SDRI. "The more nurses we can train here locally the easier it will be to fill vacancies and maintain a high level of healthcare for our patients."
The current nursing shortage is a statewide problem. California has the lowest proportion of registered nurses to the general population (566 RNs per 10,000 people) in the nation. An estimated 25,000 nurses will be needed in the state over the next six years. Areas of biggest need include ICU, Medical/Surgical, Pediatrics Obstetrics and OR.
SDSU president Stephen L. Weber sees Nurses Now as a perfect example of how the university can be a force for identifying regional solutions while improving the quality of its educational programs. U.S. News & World Report ranks SDSU's School of Nursing in the top 25 percent of nursing schools in the country. Weber believes that partnerships with local hospitals will create even more opportunities for nursing students to acquire the skills that local hospitals need.
"Innovative partnerships such as Nurses Now complement an already strong program," said Weber. "The relationships we have established with local hospitals will ensure that our professors teach cutting-edge nursing practices and that a wide range of influence goes into developing educational programs that address this important healthcare issue."
San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, it has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 76 areas, master's degrees in 59 areas and doctorates in 13. Students participate in academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with professors and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, log onto www.sdsu.edu.
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