C S S I

WHAT IS IT ?

CRITICALSKILLSSHORTAGEINITIATIVE

WHAT’S THE PLAN?

Use the grant money from the Governor’s Opportunity Returns plan to build a highly skilled workforce in Southwest Illinois

Identify the key industries in the area, determine occupational shortages and develop solutions

Who Is Involved?

3 Community Colleges: SWIC, KC, and L&C

9 County Workforce Investment Boards: Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, St.Clair, Clinton, Monroe, Washington, Randolph

Area Hospitals and Nursing Homes

STEP 1: Identify the need

Registered Nurses LPNs Rad Tech Lab Tech Resp Therapy Supervisors in all

areas

NARROWING THE FOCUS…..

Nursing was determined to be the priority now and well into the future

SWEDR hospitals had a shortage of

225 RNs and LTC facilities were short

30 RNs In the same region, LTC facilities needed

69 LPNs and hospitals were short 48

Local Root Causes were………….

Insufficient supply of new graduate RNs

Excessive “leakage” of RNs out of the SWEDR to metro area hospitals

Aging RN workforce RNs leaving facility

due to dissatisfaction

LPNs climb career ladder to RNs often within 1-2 years of grad

Insufficient supply of new grads

Inadequate compensation for the jobs they perform

Dissatisfaction with job

“It was my first time to realize that it was not a supply issue. It wasn’t that there were not enough students interested in going into the programs; it was that the colleges were not able to take in enough students to meet the hospitals’ needs.” (Human Resource Manager, Alton Memorial Hospital)

RESULTS OF THE MEETINGS

Other “payoffs” of the meetings

Area hospitals made aware of 2 existing programs: KC’s RN Refresher Course and L&C’s Management Course

Sharing of resources: Hospitals offered classroom space, names of MSN prepared nurses, available clinical spaces

$$$ GRANT AWARDED! $$$

SWEDR was the recipient

of a CSSI Grant for $615,000 3 projects were established:

1) Project HEAL –Health Education Alliance… to increase the number of RNs educated

2) Project BEST- Basic and Effective Supervisory Training...to improve supervisory skills of nurses

3) Project RENEW- Returning Nurses to the Educated Workforce....to provide refresher training for nurses who have been out of the workforce and want to re-enter

Kaskaskia’s Piece of the Pie

PROJECT RENEW

A Refresher Course for LPNs and RNs who have been out of the workforce and are ready to return

May require meeting IDFPR requirements to re-issue license after being inactive for 5 or more years

May just require a “refreshing” of skills and knowledge to be a safe practitioner

REFRESHER COURSE

Is available to both RNs and LPNs

LPN syllabus was written and updated by the Illinois Council of LPN Directors

RN syllabus follows guidelines in Illinois Nursing Act

REQUIREMENTS OF COURSE

All students take a pre-test (NLN) to determine areas of strength and weakness

Includes a review of theory content…a synopsis of the entire program of either the LPN or A D N program

Students do 14 days of supervised clinicals…..can go with a current clinical group or can find a nurse preceptor. Clinical skills are those listed in the Illinois Nurse Practice Act.

Prior to clinicals, students must meet all the current program requirements including proof of insurance, health assessment/immunizations, background and drug screenings, TB test

Must pass a calculations quiz with at 90% in order to give medications

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THIS?

Graduates of a RN or LPN program who reside in the SWEDR and work for a healthcare facility in the SWEDR

There are currently 14 facilities involved and others can be added as the need arises.

Just a note about Project HEAL

35 incumbent workers began A D N programs with an additional 15 added in January 2006

8 LPNs were admitted to the A D N program at SWIC and should graduate this year

9 additional LPN students were supported in completing prerequisites for the A D N program

A full-time “coach” has been hired and works with students to help them be successful

????? QUESTIONS ?????