August 7, 2002
INFORMATION: Sue Bozman or John McElwain, (661) 362-3415 or 3494

Innovative College-Hospital Partnership Tackles Nursing Shortage

College of the Canyons is doing its part to address the nationwide nursing shortage by partnering with a local hospital to create an innovative new program designed to attract more prospective nurses to the field.

The doors to the new Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital/College of the Canyons Clinical Education Center, a 1,400-square-foot standalone facility on the hospital’s campus, will open for the program’s first class of students this fall.

Setting this program apart from those that preceded it is the fact that nursing students will receive both training and employment in a real-world setting.

“This is a very exciting and positive development for the nursing program at College of the Canyons,” said Sue Albert, assistant dean of the college’s Allied Health Department. “It will allow us to expand and sets a great precedent in the state for industry-educational collaboration to address the need for high-quality nurses.”

A key component of the new program is the hospital’s employment of a select number of student nurses, who will be hired at 80-percent pay for 67-percent time. This arrangement is designed to give students steady paychecks, time to study and incentive to succeed.

Indeed, a recent study focusing on California Community College associate degree nursing programs determined that situational factors among nursing students often hamper their educational pursuits and are a significant barrier to their success.

“Lack of money and material resources is frequently a problem for many community college students and they must often work part- or full-time to support themselves or help support their families,” according to the study by The Center for Student Success. The report cited such situational factors as changing work schedules and responsibilities as common reasons for students dropping out of nursing programs.

College of the Canyons’ new program is designed to allow nursing students to concentrate more fully on their chosen careers by learning and working in a real hospital environment in their own community, Albert said.

The opening of the center comes nearly a year after Albert testified before Congress about the college’s success in attracting nursing students and the very real challenges they face in trying to juggle educational pursuits with other commitments.

“I’m not talking scholarships; I’m talking living expenses,” she told the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in September, explaining that the federal government must offer financial assistance to colleges and students to build up the pool of qualified nurses. The situation is no longer just a shortage, she added. “It’s a crisis.”

The nursing shortage is particularly severe in California, which ranks second lowest in the country in terms of per-capita nurses. The state will need at least 25,000 new nurses over the next several years just to keep up with population growth, Albert said.

It is hoped that the College of the Canyons partnership with Newhall Memorial will help the situation ­ at least on a local level, she said.

“Investing in nursing as a profession demonstrates the hospital’s commitment to this community,” said Andie Bogdan, spokeswoman for the hospital.

The hospital donated the Clinical Education Center to be used as a comprehensive teaching lab, agreed to pick up the cost of a full-time nursing instructor for two years and will pay for students’ tuition and other costs.

Stipends for nurse mentors also will be offered, with funding provided by the college’s Cooperative Work Experience Education program.

The nursing education facility also will be shared with the William S. Hart Union High School District’s Regional Occupational Program.