Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention - Workforce Expansion Program - The School of Nursing and Health Professions (SONHP) at the University of San Francisco (USF) will partner with Alameda Health System (AHS) and the San Francisco (SF) Department of Public Health and SF Health Network (SFHN), (meeting funding preferences Qualification 2: Substantially benefits underserved populations or Qualification 3: Helps meet Public Health Nursing Needs in State or Local Health Department) to address the critical shortage of nurses, specifically in acute and long-term care settings. Our proposal, the Nurse Health Equity Scholars Initiative (NHESI) will (a) increase the number of nursing students enrolled in, retained, and graduated from a baccalaureate nursing degree program; (b) increase the number of undergraduate (UG) nursing students receiving additional specialized training in acute and long-term care settings; (c) increase the number of UG nurses employed in acute and long-term care settings post-graduation; and (d) increase the number of preceptors and clinical faculty to train nursing students in baccalaureate nursing degree programs. CA is identified by HRSA as one of 10 states with the greatest shortages in the nation, with a projected shortage of 26% in 2036, meeting funding priority 1 of this funding call. A majority of Californians will identify as people of color by 2030 but are severely underrepresented in the state’s nursing workforce. California’s population is projected to increase by 20% from 2010 to 2060, with the most growth among adults age 65 and older, representing nearly one in four Californians by 2060. As the state’s population diversifies and ages, we will require a nursing workforce that mirrors the racial, ethnic and cultural characteristics of the state and is educated to provide specialized geriatric care. As a top ranked nursing program with a racially, ethnically and economically diverse student profile, an average RN licensure exam pass rate of at least 90% and a 5-year average retention rate of 97.5%, SONHP is well situated to meet the goals of this grant. Over 90% of our prelicensure graduates become licensed in CA and remain in the state to work. Aligned with the funding opportunity’s goals, requirements and expectations, NHESI will (a) increase the number of economically disadvantaged (DS) and under-represented minority (URM) nursing students enrolled in, retained, and graduated from the USF BSN degree program; (b) increase the number of DS and URM UG nursing students receiving additional specialized training in acute and long-term care settings; (c) increase the number of DS and URM new graduate nurses employed in acute and long-term care settings post-graduation; and (d) increase the number of diverse preceptors and clinical faculty to train nursing students in BSN degree programs. Our efforts address the workforce pipeline and academic progression, didactic and clinical education, and faculty development and retention. Nested within SONHP’s existing BSN program and leveraging its infrastructure, NHESI expands an existing pilot longitudinal clinical placement (LCP) model that immerses BSN students in a single comprehensive public safety-net health system for all direct-care clinical education. We believe students who have structured, consistent and supportive learning experiences in these environments will choose to work in these systems as professionals, positively impacting workforce shortages. They will obtain knowledge and skills needed to address complex needs of low-income and marginalized populations and older adults, receiving care in the public health sector, addressing social determinants of health, unmet health needs, and significant factors that foster negative bias and adversely impact care. We will recruit and retain clinical nursing faculty from AHS and SFHN to support NHESI and other programs. NHESI will ensure a well-educated workforce pipeline committed to practicing in acute and long-term care settings in public safety-net facilities.
