Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention - Workforce Expansion Program - Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana is proposing a joint application between its Bloomington and Muncie campuses to help address the nursing workforce shortage. However, each campus’s aim with this proposal is customized to the needs of its local community. Indiana faces a significant healthcare workforce shortage, particularly in rural areas with high poverty rates. This proposal seeks to alleviate these disparities by increasing the number of nursing students, enhancing specialized training, and improving employment rates in acute and long-term care settings. Starting in Fall 2024, the Nursing program will incorporate a new concept-based curriculum that emphasizes holistic patient care and prepares students for the NextGen NCLEX exam. Ivy Tech Bloomington’s School of Nursing offers an accredited educational pathway for credentialed healthcare professionals (licensed practical nurses, paramedics, military medics or corpsmen, and certified medical assistants) to complete an Associate Degree in Nursing through a 12-month transitional pathway. Currently, this pathway is only offered during daytime hours, resulting in difficulties for these healthcare professionals in completing the program while balancing work requirements and life demands. These challenges impact single parents, families working for hourly wages with no access to evening childcare, and numerous other underemployed but otherwise qualified applicants who represent quality candidates for this program. The proposed project will support the implementation of an evening cohort for this pathway. Additionally, the project will partner with long-term care and acute healthcare settings in the Bloomington community for clinical hours, faculty facilitation and job training, and employer engagement, aiming to fulfill the nursing shortage in the rural communities of the Bloomington service area. The Ivy Tech Muncie project aims to expand its nursing program, focusing on the campus’s Henry County site to address healthcare needs in rural areas. It will introduce two tracks: a traditional educational path and an apprenticeship track for Henry County Health employees, providing flexibility and financial support for students. Both tracks will offer wraparound services, including tutoring, mental health services, and financial aid. The project targets recruitment through high schools, local healthcare facilities, and community partnerships. The project's commitment to diversity and support for underrepresented populations is a key focus. It plans to increase nursing program seats at the Henry County site by 20 over four years and incorporate additional specialized training using advanced technologies like virtual reality. Recruitment efforts will be supported by the campus’s CareerLink and the K18 Department, aiming to ensure high school students are exposed to nursing opportunities.
