UW-Bothell works to alleviate nursing shortage

With a statewide nursing shortage looming and the need to educate nurses a priority, the nursing program at the University of Washington, Bothell is working to improve Washington state’s health-care forecast. The program recently received a $286,899 Department of Education noncompetitive congressionally directed grant in support of its “Initiative to Train Nursing Faculty in Partnership with a Consortium of Colleges.”

Created in response to growing state needs for a highly educated health-care and nursing work force, the initiative aims to increase the number of nursing faculty teaching in Washington state’s community and technical college nursing programs. By educating the next generation of nursing faculty, the initiative will directly contribute to the education and increased numbers of highly skilled nurses practicing in the state.

The initiative will meet these goals by:

• Developing a consortium with area community and technical college nursing programs, which will help to identify, recruit and mentor novice faculty;

• Expanding the UW-Bothell master of nursing program and admitting up to 20-25 additional students who are either faculty currently teaching or interested in teaching at consortium schools;

• Allocating scholarships ($160,000) to students currently in or planning careers in nursing education; and

• Enhancing the quality of education for nurses and nursing faculty through the consortium, faculty-to-faculty connections and novice faculty mentoring.

The consortium will include the following institutions, the majority (12) of which currently share articulation agreements with the UW-Bothell nursing program: Bellevue Community College, Bellingham Technical College, Everett Community College, Highline Community College, Lake Washington Technical College, North Seattle Community College, Peninsula College, Renton Technical College, Seattle Central Community College, Shoreline Community College, Skagit Valley College (Mount Vernon and Whidbey Island campuses), South Seattle Community College and Whatcom Community College.

This expanded partnership will strengthen UW-Bothell’s nursing education offerings to best meet the needs and opportunities identified by consortium faculty, enabling the program to continue to educate highly qualified nursing educators who will serve to prepare the region’s next generation of nurses and health-care professionals. Consortium schools are located in King, Island, Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties with the schools’ nursing alumni practicing throughout the state and region.

One-hundred percent of these congressionally directed dollars will be applied to the project.

UW-Bothell is located in the state’s 1st congressional district, represented by U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee and U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, all of whom are to be noted for their efforts to support quality education and for working to address our state’s health-care crisis. Additional support was provided by Congressman Dave Reichert of the 8th congressional district.

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