1/30/2008 9:47:00 AM Benefits of new nursing division many, varied
Dennis Meyer/Daily NewsBill Path, president of Northeast Community College in Norfolk, says there are so many positives to the proposed College of Nursing Northern Division here that they’re almost too numerous to identify.
Did you know?
The northern region of Nebraska has the most significant shortage of RNs and nurses with bachelor of science degrees in nursing, as well as advanced practice nurses and master of science registered nurses, especially in mental health, community/public health, primary care and nursing education.
Students, health care providers and the general public.
That's Dr. Bill Path's assessment of the proposed College of Nursing Northern Division planned for Norfolk.
Path, the president of Northeast Community College said the project has so many positives that he doesn't believe it can fail.
The partnership between Northeast and the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha (UNMC) will create the med center's fifth college of nursing division and, at the same time, provide Northeast with a state-of-the-art center for its nursing program.
Currently, UNMC has nursing schools in Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney and Scottsbluff, all of which are located in the southern section of the state.
Northeast already offers degrees in basic nurse's aid, licensed practical nursing and an associate degree in nursing. When the new school is operational, students will be able to stay on campus to earn their bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in nursing, with the degrees being awarded from UNMC.
It is hoped that those graduates will stay in Northeast and North Central Nebraska to work in their profession.
"We have young people graduating from area high schools who are going to Omaha or Lincoln to get a (nursing) degree and not coming back," Path said.
The benefits of educating more nurses and keeping them in the area are many and varied.
More nurses are needed to help alleviate the current and projected nursing shortage that is affecting the entire country, Path said.
In a recent issue of Health Affairs magazine, it's estimated that the U.S. will need an additional 340,000 nurses by 2020. It's also estimated that 55 percent of the country's nurses will reach retirement age between 2011 and 2020.
Here in Northeast Nebraska, the demand for registered nurses is projected to increase 25 percent by that same time.
It's also important to realize that an adequate supply of nurses is critical when recruiting new doctors to the area, Path said.
"One of the first questions asked by doctors is, 'Tell me about your nursing staff,' " Path said.
There are other advantages to the partnership, too.
Students will benefit by saving money on tuition because they will be taking the basic required courses - such as English, history and math - from Northeast, where the tuition per credit hour is $62 as compared with $169.50 at the University of Nebraska. Even so, UNMC is still an educational bargain compared to some private schools, Path said.
Plus, students from the area will save money if they don't have to travel or move outside of the area to attend classes.
Northeast will benefit from the increased enrollment of students who will earn their associate degrees at the college before transferring into the University of Nebraska system, Path added.
And then there's the economic impact to consider. The school will employ 10 to 15 faculty members who will have their master's and doctorate degrees. Their combined annual salaries will be between $750,000 and $1 million.
Plus, nurses in Northeast Nebraska earn around $23 an hour. If another 80 nurses were added to the work force in Northeast Nebraska, they would contribute $3.8 million to the area economy.
There are other benefits to consider, too.
"Once we start producing more nurses . . . we will attract other entrepreneurs who will bring businesses that hire nurses and health care workers," Path said.
All of those reasons are why Path has only good things to say about the partnership.
"This is a chance to keep people here, grow our economy and transform lives," he said.
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Coming tomorrow: Read about the stories of nursing students and educators who would benefit from a new nursing division in Norfolk.
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Posted: Sunday, September 21, 2008
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Kari
