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Colleagues in Caring site: Rhode Island
Contact
person and email address: Marcia Bliss, marciab@hari.org URL
for recruitment initiative: Web site being developed Recruitment
initiative:
Forum for educators from RI high schools "Educating
Tomorrow's Nurses…"
Panel
presentation by representatives from schools of nursing in RI; displays; networking
opportunity.
Initiatives described are activities of the Ed/Recruitment Task
Force. Timeframe/Target
population:
Forum for high school educators; breakfast meeting to be
repeated at least annually. Partners/Funders:
RI School-to-Career Program (RI STC); Health Partnership Council (HPC);
Hospital Association of RI (HARI) Message:
Why/How to guide students toward a nursing career. High school (HS) preparation
(courses) required and recommended to foster success in nursing education. Incorporation
of work based learning into HS curriculum, lesson planning
Evaluation
of effectiveness:
Program evaluations positive; recommended repeating.
Suggestions (topics) given for future forums. Recommendations (and invitations)
offered by attendees for other types of outreach efforts appropriate to HS students
/ teachers. Evaluation data to be incorporated into future planning, activities.
Lessons learned:
Realized there is a range of understanding
(and misunderstanding) among HS teachers re:
nursing as a career; the HS
preparation students need to be successful in a nursing education program; resources
(nurses) available to assist teachers to incorporate work-based learning into
curriculum; and resources available through post secondary education institutions
for students requiring additional academic support. Resources
available:
School of Nursing Fact Sheet: summarizes academic information
for each nursing education program in Rhode Island (contact people, telephone
numbers, addresses and web site info.)
Chart of web sites of interest to potential
nursing students. Recruitment
initiative:
Essay contest for student nurses entitled "Why I Chose Nursing."
One winner from each
school; each awarded legislative citations, a gift certificate to Providence Place
Mall and a one year membership to RI State Nurses Association (RISNA)
Timeframe:
Will
repeat, but in a different context next year; see Evaluation column. Target
Population:
To obtain personal expressions from current nursing students
to be used in recruitment activities; i.e. one essay read by student at forum
for HS teachers. Partners/Funders:
Costs were defrayed by: a donation from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
RI (BC/BSRI) and RI School-to-Career (RI STC) grant funds Messages:
A career in nursing is a good choice . . . and this is why . . . . Evaluation
of effectiveness:
Reading of the essay at the forum for teachers rated
highly by teachers.
Task force opted to repeat the essay contest, but to make
it one part of a broader effort. CIC-RI Student Nurse Award to be presented annually
to one student at each school of nursing in RI.
Lessons learned:
Important for CIC-RI to develop an award that would identify/reward student
nurses based on: strong academics and leadership abilities crucial to nursing.
An essay, "Why I chose a Career in Nursing," to be one of the criteria
on which the award is based. Resources
available:
Essays available for use as part of recruitment efforts. Recruitment
initiative:
Nurses working with teachers to infuse work-related learning
into HS curriculum, lesson plans. Timeframe/Target
population:
Ongoing/HS math teachers Partners/Funders:
HPC; RISNA Message:
Math is relevant in the "real world" of work Evaluation
of effectiveness:
Teachers continue to request input from nurses
Lessons learned:
Teachers are looking for info regarding creative
ways to introduce students to "real world math." Resources
available:
Curriculum, lesson plans will be available/shared through
the RI Dept. of Education (RIDE) Recruitment
initiative:
"Scholarships" for HS students (50) to attend Student
Nurse Association of RI (SNARI) Annual Convention Timeframe/Target
population:
Annual/HS Students (and the teachers who accompanied them
to the convention) Partners/Funders:
United Nurses and Allied Professionals (UNAP); HPC Message:
A career in nursing is a good choice and this is why……
Evaluation of effectiveness:
Introduced HS students to nursing / nursing
education.
Offered opportunity for HS students/teachers to experience the
enthusiasm of student nurses.
Lessons learned:
Important to:
- Have an opportunity to work with labor organization (UNAP) to reach, recruit
potential candidates for a career in nursing
- Utilize a "Youth-to-Youth"
recruitment opportunity, strategy Resources
available: Recruitment
initiative:
Speakers Bureau; in the process of compiling a list of names
of nurses who are qualified and available to respond to requests.
Timeframe/Target population:
Ongoing/ To respond to requests for speakers at career fairs, school
assemblies and other "recruitment opportunities" with a positive professional
message. Partners/Funders:
Many requests for speakers received through: HPC; RISNA
HARI - Director
of Workforce Development Message:
A career in nursing is a good choice and this is why……
Evaluation of effectiveness:
Have encountered well-intentioned
nurse speakers who volunteered (or who were volunteered) for an event but were
not able to effectively present, promote a career in nursing in a positive manner.
Held an invitational event for Rhode Island nurses who were recommended as potential
spokespersons for nursing by colleagues, employers and members of professional
nursing organizations (i.e. RI State Nurses Association and specialty nursing
organizations.)
Intent: to introduce the Rhode Island Nursing Career Information
Center, to promote CIC-RI recruitment activities and to identify individuals willing
to volunteer for recruitment activities.
Next steps: development of a "Speaker's
Tool Kit" for volunteer nurse speakers which will insure a consistent, accurate
message; reconvene nurse volunteers for a session designed to prepare them for
recruitment activities.
Lessons learned:
Guest speakers must
be prepared, professional, positive ambassadors for nursing.
Goals:
To increase participation in CIC-RI by members of nursing specialty groups;
To address the need for nursing professionals to promote nursing in RI in
a positive light; and
To identify nurses willing, qualified and available
to be part of the CIC-RI Speakers Bureau. Resources
available:
Goal:
Development and on-going support and maintenance
of a speakers bureau which will enhance nursing recruitment efforts in RI.
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