VCU School of Nursing “Successes and challenges in implementing a HRSA-funded Nursing Education & Practice Retention (NEPR) grant” Martha W. Moon, RN, PhD, MPH, Project Director Milagritos L. Flinn, BA, Hispanic Coordinator

Public Health Nursing Workforce and Access Roundtable APHA Annual Meeting November 5, 2007 Martha W. Moon, RN, PhD, MPH Principal investigator HRSA grant # D65HP05367 July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2008

About the grant Title : “Public Health Nurses for Virginia’s Future: Part Two” Funding : HRSA / NEPR / $630K Length : 3 years (7/1/05 – 6/30/08) Purpose : Create more baccalaureate-prepared RNs by increasing RN-BS Weekend Program enrollment Emphasis : Public health RNs & Spanish-speaking RNs

Rationale Demographic changes in Virginia’s patient population Shortage of RNs to meet current and future healthcare needs Particular shortages – Baccalaureate-prepared RNs – Spanish-speaking RNs – Public health RNs

Objectives Primary : Advance associate/diploma RNs to baccalaureate level - 20 Spanish-speaking RNs (yearly goals: 4, 8, 8) - 10 public health RNs (yearly goals: 2, 4, 4) Secondary : Educate RN-BS students in relevant skills - Cultural diversity & competence seminars - Instruction in Spanish language & culture

Overall strategy Recruiting - Build awareness - Online marketing - Incentives & mentorship - Advisory Board Spanish language Cultural competence

Strategy: recruiting Build awareness - Survey, focus groups  collateral media - Prospect database - Public relations - One-on-one media training (VCU School of Mass Comm.) - Created media Fact Sheets; posted on website

Strategy: recruiting Online marketing - Goals - Simplify application process - Reach more prospects at lower cost - Solution - Redesigned & re-wrote RN-BS website - Created online response form to identify & screen prospects

Strategy: recruiting Incentives - Provide laptop computers to all grant-recruited students - Tech team: on-call support, individual training Mentorship program - Offered to all grant-recruited students - Mentors are graduates of the RN-BS Weekend Program or Spanish-speaking community leaders

Strategy: recruiting Advisory Board - Goals: Guide grant staff; reach target audiences with message - Members: - Community college nursing program directors - Va. Dept. of Health Director of PH Nursing - State Council of Higher Education - City of Richmond Hispanic Liaison Office - VCU SON Director of Technology, Director of Student Services - Alumnae of RN-BS Weekend Program

Strategy: Spanish language Offer classes each semester – Faculty from VCU School of World Studies – 3 levels of language classes Beginning Intermediate Advanced – Open to all students and staff at VCU and VCU Health Systems – Classes on VCU medical campus (convenient for students)

Strategy: cultural competence Provide seminars & workshops for stakeholders – Seminars throughout semester for SON students & faculty – Lectures during faculty orientation – Cultural competence workshops for Va. Dept. of Health employees – Used Camphina-Bacote’s survey to measure cultural competency In progress – Cultural competence workshop on Latino health care to be broadcast to all local health departments in VA

Results at end of 2 nd year Awareness of RN-BS Weekend Program - Online response form  800+ prospects in <6 months - Interviews with local & national media (print, TV, radio, online); presentations at conferences

Results at end of 2 nd year Recruiting & retention - Exceeded goals - 26 Spanish-speaking RNs / 7 public health RNs (130% / 87.5% of total grant goal) - 96% retention

Results at end of 2 nd year Spanish language; Cultural competence – Spanish classes offered every semester; 227 students enrolled as of Fall 2007 (121% of total grant goal) – Multiple cultural competence seminars offered each semester

Challenges Lack of incentives for PH nurses to earn BS in Nursing – No tuition reimbursement, release time, or salary differential Need more scholarship funding for RN-BS students – Survey data proves cost = barrier, efficacy of scholarships – Statewide survey data: >700 students, >70 PH nurses Needed to change cultural competence survey – Initial survey now unavailable – Creating own survey in-house

Strategies for the future Expand online marketing - Website = most important & most efficient channel (online response form) - Will take 1 year for full data, but preliminary results are compelling Use trips as relationship-builders - Prospects expect to get data online (proof = online response form) - Use trips to stay emotionally connected with students/directors - Send sincere message Continue involving partners Advisory Board, VDH, VCCS, SCHEV