StarBulletin.com

Nursing programs expand


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POSTED: Monday, May 24, 2010

Nursing education in Hawaii is becoming more sophisticated even as it expands, administrators say.

This comes as an anticipated shortage of nurses remains on the horizon.

“;The typical patient today is what an intensive care unit patient was 10 years ago, with increasing acuity,”; says Mary Boland, dean of the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene.

In the future, more nurses and more types of nurses will be needed—such as advance practice nurses because of a shortage of primary care doctors, she said.

“;We have to create nurses to meet the needs of long-term care, assisted living and particularly to help elders age in place at home.”;

UH-Manoa was turning away nursing applicants a few years ago because of lack of faculty and resources, but both have increased dramatically, she said, adding the school now has about 600 students.

Chaminade University will open a new school of nursing in the fall for 75 students, and Hawaii Pacific University's College of Nursing and Health Sciences is offering a new Bachelor of Science in Health Science degree program.

UH, HPU, Chaminade and the University of Phoenix are collaborating in an effort to keep more nurses in their programs. Several hospitals now have a nursing internship program to orient and mentor new nurses.

Among other developments:

» UH will launch a “;learner-driven curriculum”; in the fall for all nursing students at Manoa and the community colleges. It includes a lot more technology and electronic access to information and increases focus on quality and patient safety, Boland said.

» A Hawaii Nursing Simulation Center that presents students with realistic medical scenarios has been established on the Manoa campus with support from HMSA Foundation, Hawaii Pacific Health, the Queen's Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente. Queen's ICU nurses and others have worked with students in the lab, Boland said. Hawaii Pacific University and the University of Phoenix (see story above) also have simulation labs, and Chaminade will eventually have one.

» Maui and Kauai Community College nursing students will have in the fall a “;three plus one”; curriculum with double admission to Manoa for a bachelor's degree. They will not have to relocate to Oahu as in the past, but will take classes for three years at the community college and distance courses the fourth year from Manoa. Kapiolani Community College is expected to participate in 2011.

“;We're looking to build a shared community resource for our health care industry to come together and learn how to improve patient care,”; Boland says.

Meanwhile, a critical shortage of nurses that was projected a few years ago is still expected as the state's population ages, said Gail Tiwanak, executive director of the Hawaii State Center for Nursing.

New nurses now are having trouble finding openings, especially in specialty areas. But that will change as Hawaii's nurses, many in their 60s or approaching 60, retire or find work that is less arduous.

“;Work at bedside is physically demanding,”; Tiwanak said.