Address: University of Utah College of Nursing, 10 S 2000 E, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 Project Director: Nancy A. Allen Phone: 801-585-3892 Email: Nancy.allen@nurs.utah.edu Program funds requested: $1,050,000 Funding Priority: Public entity Funding Preference: Substantially benefits underserved populations and rural populations This project will increase the number of racially/ethnically diverse acute care nurses to mirror the diversity of Utah and increase the competency of the acute care nursing workforce in Utah to provide equitable care that is culturally sensitive and addresses social determinants of health (SDOH). This addresses the clinical, practice, education and retention priorities. Utah has a growing racially/ethnically diverse population with a rise primarily in Hispanics and Refugee populations. Yet, our nursing workforce has few racially/ethnically diverse nurses. Utah also has a geographic disparity of being a largely rural state with few acute care hospitals. Our specific goals are: 1. Develop and implement innovative educational training models to prepare nurses for initial and long-term practice in the acute care settings and to increase confidence in addressing SDOH, health equity, cultural awareness and resiliency skills. Several strategies will be used including the development of unfolding simulations that address SDOH equity, cultural sensitivity and resiliency skills (Year 1), online professional development modules with digital badges (Years 2-3), and a mini-certificate program for equity, diversity and inclusion (Year 3). 2. Enhance academic-practice partnerships with acute care and community organizations serving disadvantaged and racially/ethnically diverse populations. An Academic-Practice Executive Committee will be developed comprised of members from diverse communities, University Hospital, University of Utah Office of Network Development and Telehealth, students and faculty. A needs assessment and plan wil
l be developed to address acute care community and rural hospital needs and to identify student leadership experiences/quality improvement projects (Year 1). Through our academic practice partnerships, students will gain organizational leadership opportunities with underserved, racial/ethnic diversity and geographical disparities. The experiences will involve travel to acute care hospitals in rural settings with high numbers of diverse patients (e.g. Native American, Hispanic etc.), working on acute care telehealth programs and learning from diverse community leaders about their communities (Years 2-3). A Community-Practice Partnership Advisory Committee will be developed with five racially/ethnically diverse communities, diverse students, acute care nursing leaders, local high school and community college representatives and the Salt Lake City health department (Year 1). Resources for diverse communities will be developed and disseminated by workshops to prepare diverse youth for becoming qualified nursing students (Years 2-3). 3. Implement a recruitment and retention system targeting racially/ethnically diverse RN-BS students that are committed to working in acute care settings. An Acute Care Diversity Scholars program will be developed for racially/ethnically diverse registered nurses to obtain their BS. This program will recruit and retain 31 Acute Care Diversity Scholars that will have support and mentoring support to succeed as a BS nurse and prepared to become organizational leaders in acute care settings and their communities (Years 1-3). This project will: enhance the capacity of diverse undergraduate nurses to address complex care needs aimed at improving health outcomes, health equity and access; fill critical gaps in the acute care nursing workforce regarding patients with health inequities and SDOH through innovative teaching modules that provide didactic and experiential learning; and, increase the diversity of the nursing workforce through the Acu
te Care Scholars prog