News
News And Events
On Wednesday, February 27, 2008, the Mississippi Hospital Association’s Health Careers Center in collaboration with the Mississippi Office of Nursing Workforce will host the State-wide Nursing and Health Care Workforce Forum. The forum will be held at the Mississippi Hospital Association from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost of registration is $75.00 and lunch will be provided.
Workforce Developers, Hospital and Allied Health Recruiters, Human Resource Representatives, Nurse Educators, Directors of Nursing, MHA Organization of Nurse Executives and WIN Job Center Representatives are encouraged to attend.
Registration brochure and agenda. If you have any questions or need further information, contact Melissa Lott at 601.368.3232 or mlott@mhanet.org.
January 22, 2008
REGIONAL FOUNDATIONS SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN $10 MILLION INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS NURSING SHORTAGES IN COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Northwest Health Foundation Lead Unique Program with Partners in Nine States
Princeton, N.J. and Portland, Ore. – A new initiative to develop solutions to address the nursing shortage through regional and local partnerships was announced today with support for 10 projects (see attached list) across the country. Led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Northwest Health Foundation, Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future will support foundations to act as catalysts in their communities to develop strategies needed for a stable, adequate nursing workforce. This new program launches as the effects of the nursing shortage are increasing in severity.
“Nurses are the cornerstone of our health care 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 partnership of the philanthropic community provides an opportunity to foster innovations that will develop nursing workforce solutions beyond what any one foundation could do alone.”
Funding partnerships have been established in nine states with 10 regional and local foundations; each receives up to $250,000 from Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future – a five-year, $10 million program – and matches the grant with at least $1 for every $2 provided. Working with partners such as state workforce investment boards, hospitals and educational institutions, foundations selected for partnership will explore 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, fostering diversity, and empowering nurses to assume leadership roles.
“As nursing shortages vary across communities, so must the solutions – that’s why a range of programs is being explored through Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future,” said Judith Woodruff, J.D., director of strategic initiatives of NWHF and program director for Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future. “One size won’t fit all - and we need solutions that will work close to home through this unique collaboration. “
In communities across the country, the nursing shortage has become so severe that it threatens patient care and safety, health care costs, and patient outcomes. The causes of the nursing shortage are complex and range from rapid population growth in several states, decline in nurses’ earnings, an aging nursing workforce, low job satisfaction, poor working conditions, and an increasingly diverse patient population requiring intensive health services.
Through the Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future initiative, local and regional foundations are joining together to spark collaboration among their own community partners and other local grant makers.
September 20, 2006
Startling Findings of Research into Mississippi’s Nursing Faculty Shortage and How it Affects Mississippians’ Access to Quality Nursing Care
Mississippi Hospital Association Health, Research and Educational Foundation Selected to Participate in Program to Address Nursing Shortage
[Jackson, MS] – Representatives of the Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA), Mississippi Nurses Association (MNA), Mississippi Office for Nursing Workforce (ONW), and the Mississippi Council of Deans and Directors of Schools of Nursing today released a White Paper, The Shortage of Nursing Program Faculty in Mississippi, and discussed how failure to address the trends identified in the study could lead to a critical lack of qualified nurses in the state’s health care system.
While Mississippi is seeing an increase in nursing vacancy rates in its health care- providing institutions, the state’s Schools of Nursing were forced to turn away more than 2,300 qualified applicants for nursing programs in 2005. The primary reason for those non-admissions was a lack of qualified faculty to teach at all levels of nursing education, both public and private. Statistics show that while the state’s and the nation’s need for qualified nurses will only increase, the number of faculty available to teach in Mississippi will drastically decrease in the next few years.
The White Paper highlights a number of strategies to address the problems of recruiting and retaining qualified faculty in Mississippi, while examining innovations to direct Mississippi students into health care professions.
As one of the current strategies, the MHA Health, Research and Educational Foundation, in partnership with the Mississippi Office of Nursing Workforce (ONW) and the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES), has recently been selected as one of 10 foundations nationwide to participate in Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future (PIN), a new national initiative to develop and test solutions to America’s nursing shortage. Led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Northwest Health Foundation (NWHF), 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, MHA Health, Research and Educational Foundation has been awarded a two-year grant of $250,000 and MDES will contribute $125,000. Organizations selected for the program are exploring an array of initiatives that meet their communities’ 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. The goal of the grant project, “Mississippi Critical Nursing Faculty Shortage Initiative,” is to develop a multi-dimensional approach to increase and retain nursing faculty that more accurately reflect the ethnicity and gender of our population.
With nurses making up 31% of the individuals providing health care services, Mississippi is on the brink of “experiencing a crisis in its health care system due to a persistent shortage in the nursing profession” (The Shortage of Nursing Program Faculty in Mississippi, 2006).
MHA, MNA, ONW, and the Mississippi Council of Deans and Directors of Schools of Nursing urge all appropriate departments of government to recognize the nursing faculty shortage and nursing education as critical state needs and encourage all Mississippians to protect their future by protecting nursing.
Saving Nurses Saves Lives.
EXTRA:
Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future is a five-year, $10 million initiative. “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 the MHA Health, Research and Educational Foundation and partners, which is well-qualified to explore solutions for the people of Mississippi. One size won’t fit all - and we need solutions that will work close to home.”
“The PIN grant is an excellent opportunity for the MHA Foundation and the Office of Nursing Workforce to implement solutions to the critical nursing faculty shortage in Mississippi. We look forward to focusing on high-impact, results-oriented initiatives that are well suited for replication across the country. We are excited about the opportunity to expand our expertise in partnership with other foundations and nursing organizations nationwide,” said Marcella L. McKay, PhD, RN, President and CEO, MHA Health, Research & Educational Foundation.
The purpose of the “Mississippi Critical Nursing Faculty Shortage Initiative” will include the following objectives: 1) develop an innovative, accelerated educational path to a nursing faculty career; 2) develop an evidence-based image and recruitment campaign to showcase nursing education as a desirable career; 3) develop multiple adjunct faculty roles with formal relationships between education and service; and 4) improve education and clinical workplace cultures.
For more information about the MHA Health, Research and Educational Foundation, Mississippi Office of Nursing Workforce and Mississippi Department of Employment Security’s Mississippi Critical Nursing Faculty Shortage Initiative, visit www.monw.org. Information about Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future is available at www.PartnersInNursing.org.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. See www.rwjf.org.
September 20, 2006
MISSISSIPPI CRITICAL NURSING FACULTY SHORTAGE INITIATIVE PROJECT OVERVIEW
The purpose of the Mississippi Critical Nursing Faculty Shortage Initiative is to address one of the root problems that contribute to the nursing shortage, the nursing faculty shortage. The goal of the project is to develop a multi-dimensional approach to increase and retain nursing faculty that more accurately reflect the ethnicity and gender of our population by the following objectives:
1) develop an innovative, accelerated educational path to a nursing faculty career;
2) develop an evidence-based image and recruitment campaign to showcase nursing education as a desirable career;
3) develop multiple adjunct faculty roles with formal relationships between education and service; and
4) improve education and clinical workplace cultures.
Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA) Health, Research and Educational Foundation, in part-nership with the Mississippi Office of Nursing Workforce (ONW) and the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES), has recently been selected as one of 10 foundations nation-wide to participate in Partners Investing in Nursing's Future (PIN), a new national initiative to develop and test solutions to America's nursing shortage. Led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Northwest Health Foundation (NWHF), 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, MHA Health, Research and Educational Foundation via the Mississippi Office of Nursing Workforce has been awarded a two-year grant of $375,000, including funds from the RWJF, NWHF and matching funds pro-vided by MDES. Organizations selected for the program are exploring an array of initiatives that meet their communities' specific needs, including recruiting and retaining nursing facul-ty, 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. "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 the MHA Health, Research and Educational Foundation and partners, which is well-qualified to explore solu-tions for the people of Mississippi. One size won't fit all - and we need solutions that will work close to home."
For more information about the MHA Health, Research and Educational Foundation, Mississippi Office of Nursing Workforce and Mississippi Department of Employment Security's Mississippi Critical Nursing Faculty Shortage Initiative, visit www.monw.org. Information about Partners Investing in Nursing's Future is available at www.PartnersInNursing.org.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. See www.rwjf.org.
Northwest Health Foundation was founded in 1997 from the net proceeds of the sale of PACC Health Plans and PACC HMO and has awarded more than $25 million to organizations serving the health needs of the region. It is an independent, charitable foundation committed to advancing, supporting, and promoting the health of the of Oregon and southwest Washington. See www.nwhf.org.
September 20, 2006
Bower Foundation
Spring 2006 marks the beginning of a new partnership between the Office of Nursing Workforce and The Bower Foundation. The Bower Foundation has granted ONW funds to create two new Student Nurse Mentorship programs in the state. The two program sites will be on three-year cycles and will serve approximately 120 students who have interests in health careers.
The mission of the Bower Foundation is commitment to the promotion of fundamental improvements in the health status of all Mississippians through the creation, expansion, and support of quality healthcare initiatives. To that end the Bower Foundation has agreed to partner with ONW to provide an opportunity for Mississippi students to gain first hand knowledge and experience in the health care field, provide them the opportunity to become Certified Nurse Assistants, and guide them into health career choices. ONW seeks to "Grow our Own" in Mississippi so that our citizens have the best possible healthcare available.
The first of the two new Mentorship programs will be in Tupelo. North Mississippi Medical Center and the Healthcare Foundation of North Mississippi are the two primary partners. Other partners include Tupelo High School and the Allied Health Center. There are nineteen students enrolled in the eight-week "Mentorship Academy" that began March 14th. The students report to North Mississippi Medical Center Tuesdays and Thursdays for classroom projects and job shadowing. Lessons are interactive and creative and cover all aspects of working in a healthcare facility. The students learn basic medical terminology, basic life skills and professional skills to teaching them how to work with people. The job shadowing allows them to spend time with a nurse or another health career professional. June will be set aside for the students to begin an 80-hour Certified Nurse Assistant course at the Medical Center. Each student successfully completing the CNA course will be eligible to be certified.
The Bower Student Nurse Mentorship Project will begin March 1, 2006 and end February 28, 2010. For more information on this project contact the Office of Nursing Workforce at 601-368-3321 or info@monw.org.
April 4, 2006
MONW.org Site Redesign
The Office of Nursing Workforce and Nuzu Net Media collaborate to create a more user friendly website interface. The successful launch of the project occured on October 1, 2005. MONW.org is now a Web Standards compliant site!
September 1, 2005