Kaiser Permanente Awards $580,000 to L.A. Nursing Schools; Accelerated Degree Programs Offer Hope for Nursing Shortages.PASADENA, Calif. -- Kaiser Permanente announced today that it has awarded $580,000 to Mount St. Mary's Mount St. Mary's may refer many institutions. Mount St. Mary's College may be:
The total $580,000 forgivable loans award includes $440,000 for 17 accelerated Bachelor's of Science in Nursing students at Mount St. Mary's College; as well as $120,000 for Azusa Pacific University's accelerated Master's in Nursing students, and $20,000 for the university's Second Careers and Nursing (SCAN) students. In addition, students selected for the forgivable loan program will get a chance to perform clinical rotations and receive mentoring from Kaiser Permanente nursing staff during the duration of their college careers. Upon graduation, students may work at any of the 11 Southern California Kaiser Permanente hospitals for forgiveness of the loan, which can pay for up to two-thirds of their tuition. "The second degree candidates have demonstrated that they are committed to the nursing profession," said Judy Husted, RN, MS, Kaiser Foundation Hospital's Executive Director of Patient Care Services, Operations, Southern California. "We are proud of the unique partnership we have established with Mount St. Mary's College and Azusa Pacific University." "It is one of the many innovative initiatives we have implemented to address the California nursing shortage, which is in a huge crisis," she added. According to the California Healthcare Association, California ranks 49th in the nation in terms of the number of RNs per capita - with 585 RNs per 100,000 population, compared to the national average of 798 RNs per 100,000 population. Only Nevada has fewer RNs per capita than California. "Kaiser Foundation Hospital's generous financial assistance to our students will enable Mount St. Mary's to prepare more nurses in a time of great need in our community," said Mount St. Mary's President Jacqueline Powers Doud Jacqueline Powers Doud is current president of Mount St. Mary's College. She became the college's eleventh, and first lay president in July 2000. She had previously served as provost at the college. , PhD. In addition, said Mary Wickman, RN, PhD, chair of the college's Department of Nursing, "For the new graduate, this program offers a winning combination of having their education paid for while gaining a first work experience in a quality healthcare organization." Felicitas Dela Cruz, RN, DNSc, FAANP FAANP Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners , APU nursing professor and SCAN director, agreed that the funds offer a significant boost for the university's master's in nursing students. "The funds will enable the Second Careers and Nursing (SCAN) students to primarily focus on their studies, so they become ready to join the Southern California nursing workforce within an accelerated period of time," she said. Kaiser Permanente seeks to be the organization of choice for nurses. To create the optimum environment for both its nurses and its members, the organization is improving nursing retention and recruitment. Kaiser Permanente has upgraded its preceptor pre·cep·tor n. An expert or specialist, such as a physician, who gives practical experience and training to a student, especially of medicine or nursing. preceptor an instructor. program, created re-entry programs for returning nurses, and awarded numerous grants to nursing schools to expand their curriculum. Founded in 1925, Mount St. Mary's College is a Catholic, liberal arts college Liberal arts colleges are primarily colleges with an emphasis upon undergraduate study in the liberal arts. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers the following definition of the liberal arts as a, "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge dedicated primarily to the education of women through innovative, values-based educational programs at two historic campuses. The Accelerated Baccalaureate Nursing Program (AccBSN) offers the BSN degree to students already holding a Bachelor's Degree. The vigorous program is within a one year time frame. The AccBSN program is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. For more information about Mount St. Mary's College, visit the Web site at www.msmc.la.edu. Featured in TIME Magazine and ranked as one of the nation's best by U.S. News & World Report U.S. News & World Report Weekly newsmagazine published in Washington, D.C. U.S. News was founded in 1933 by David Lawrence (1888–1973) to cover important domestic events; he founded World Report in 1945 to treat world news. The two magazines were merged in 1948. and The Princeton Review, Azusa Pacific is a comprehensive, Christian, evangelical university, committed to God First and known for excellence in higher education. APU offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a four year academic degree in the science and principles of nursing, granted by a tertiary education university or similarly accredited school. (BSN), and four other undergraduate nursing options. In addition, APU offers a Master of Science in Nursing A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is an advanced-level quaternary education degree for Registered Nurses. It is required to become an advanced practice nurse, such as a Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist, or a Clinical nurse leader, and is considered an , an Accelerated RN to BSN, BSN to MSN, post-master certificates, Second Career and Nursing (SCAN) leading to a MSN, and a Ph.D. in Nursing. For more information, call (800) 825-5278 or visit www.apu.edu. Kaiser Permanente is a prepaid, group practice health maintenance organization (HMO HMO health maintenance organization. HMO n. A corporation that is financed by insurance premiums and has member physicians and professional staff who provide curative and preventive medicine within certain financial, ) founded in 1945. The Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region has more than 3.1 million members. It includes 3,600 physicians in the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG SCPMG Southern California Permanente Medical Group ) and 45,000 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals employees. The Region is served by 11 major medical centers. http://www.kaiserpermanente.org Note to Editor: JPEG JPEG in full Joint Photographic Experts Group Standard computer file format for storing graphic images in a compressed form for general use. JPEG images are compressed using a mathematical algorithm. Photo available. |
|
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion