National Nurses Week Highlights Diversity of Profession.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Northwest Health Foundation Announces Early Successes in Collaborative Efforts to Expand Oregon's Nursing Workforce

The American Nurses Association (ANA) has announced the theme of National Nurses Week 2005, "Nurses: Many Roles One Profession." National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6 through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

In celebration of National Nurses Week 2005, Northwest Health Foundation has announced early successes in several of its grant-funded projects designed to expand and strengthen the region's nursing workforce. The projects, several of which are outlined below, received grant support as part of the Foundation's five-year initiative, Investing in a Healthy Future: Strategies for Addressing the Nursing Shortage.

Launched in April 2003, the initiative was created to address an emerging public health crisis -- the shortage of nurses in Oregon and southwest Washington.

Since that time, Northwest Health Foundation has awarded $1.8 million in grants as part of Investing in a Healthy Future. Three of these projects represent the breadth of possible solutions to ensure that an adequate number of competent, qualified nurses are available to meet the health care needs of the changing population:

--The Nurse Recruitment and Resident Faculty Project of Multnomah County Health Department places nursing students into public health settings to gain clinical experience, and addresses the need to increase the number of public health nurses who are racially and ethnically diverse in order to provide better care to patients. Less than two years into the project, despite elimination of nursing positions due to state budget cutbacks, 76 students have had clinical placements in the health department.

--Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education (OCNE) is a collaboration between nursing programs in the state to revolutionize the nursing education system by creating a new model based on a standardized, competency-based, 4-year curriculum that is delivered on community college and university campuses around the state. This unique partnership between Oregon Health & Science University and several community colleges developed through the work of the Oregon Nursing Leadership Council (ONLC), to meet a goal of doubling enrollment in nursing programs in the state by 2010.

--Workforce Improvement with Immigrant Nurses (WIN) is a program at Clackamas Community College that assists qualified nurses from foreign countries already living in Oregon to become certified to practice nursing within the state. Many of the students are refugees from war-torn countries and many have been working in minimum wage jobs that do not make use of their healthcare training. The program consists of intensive English language and communication classes; a Nursing Transition Program to orient students to U.S. nursing practices and assist with preparation for the licensure exam; and internship opportunities in healthcare organizations. The first class of 14 students graduated in January and the program is in great demand, with over 230 candidates from 50 countries expressing interest.

"We left our home countries for different reasons, because of wars, political systems we disagreed with, discrimination, love and marriages, trying to build a better future for our kids and ourselves," said WIN graduate Nelly Altotsky, who delivered a graduation speech at Clackamas Community College on January 13, 2005. "The few things that we had in common from the beginning that brought us together were that in our previous countries we were nurses (and) the drive and determination to continue our careers as nurses in our new home ... The skills and values we've gained in the WIN Program -- leadership, a continual quest for knowledge, and a commitment to service -- will prepare us to meet the challenges of nursing. We should never forget what has driven us -- our desire to improve the health and well-being of all people."

For further information on these or other NWHF programs, please contact Michelle McClellan at 503-220-1955, or [e-mail].

Northwest Health Foundation (NWHF) was created in 1997 from proceeds of the sale of PACC Health Plan and HMO. NWHF's mission is to advance, promote and support the health of the community through grants and technical assistance programs. NWHF supports donor-advised funds for health philanthropy throughout the Pacific Northwest. NWHF values working with communities to identify and address community health needs and embraces the role of "The Community's Partner for Better Health."