Oklahoma City University

PROJECT PURPOSE

The purpose of this project is to increase the number of new registered nurses in Oklahoma through Oklahoma City University, Kramer School of Nursing?s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Strategies to increase the nursing workforce in Oklahoma are critical. Students, the healthcare system, and the community all benefit from this project. The initiative has three pillars: 1. Attract and retain new students with short term and long term initiatives 2. An academic practice partnership with SSM Health 3. Increase capacity with an additional simulation center at SSM, additional faculty for class and clinical rotations. With these funds, it is projected that the BSN program will increase their enrollment by close to 50%. New enrollment is projected to be 400 over four years (100 students annually) with an 88% completion rate should net 352 new registered nurses. In Oklahoma, on average, there are 1200 nursing students accepted into BSN programs annually with an average completion of approximately 850. The past three fiscal years, there were 1900 new RNs licensed each year in Oklahoma (OBN, 2021) Nurses with baccalaureate-level education have been linked to better patient outcomes, fewer errors, and lower mortality rates (AACN, 2021).

EVIDENCE

One of the important responsibilities of nursing education systems is providing high-quality education to nursing students and preparing competent nurses so that they can provide patients with safe and high-quality care in the future. Nursing programs in Oklahoma have limited capacity to increase enrollment. Oklahoma is faced with a critical shortage of nurses. Now, more than ever, strategies to increase the nursing workforce are needed. Academic-Practice Partnerships are an important mechanism to strengthen nursing practice and help nurses become well positioned to lead change and advance health (AACN, 2022).

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Multiple populations will benefit from this program: students, healthcare systems, and the community. The nursing shortage has negative consequences for the nursing profession, healthcare, and citizens of Oklahoma. Nurses who continue to work at the bedside have been working longer hours with less staff, which can seriously impact patient outcomes-particularly for vulnerable populations. Research shows increasing a nurse?s workload by just one patient increases the likelihood of an inpatient dying by 7% and every 10% increase in BSN nurses is associated with a decreased likelihood of 7%. Hospital beds become unavailable when there are insufficient nurses to staff the units, limiting access to care, disproportionately impacting rural communities and vulnerable populations that already have limited health-care access, experience higher rates of mortality from COVID-19, and an increased incidence of chronic illness. Non-nurse healthcare workers and college students who want to be registered nurses directly benefit through additional resources to support their education. The SSM Health system, and ultimately other state-wide hospitals, will be directly impacted through strategies to increase their nursing workforce. Ultimately, the community as a whole benefits as the nursing shortage is lessened and more services are provided to continue to battle the negative health consequences of COVID.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Annually, OCU staff will collect and evaluate new student enrollment, retention, and completion rates for the BSN program. Data will be aggregated and disaggregated by program option to monitor outcomes and identify relevant program trends. Additional data to be collected and monitored includes annual licensure pass rates, employment, employer satisfaction, graduate satisfaction, faculty salaries, cost of attendance per student, simulation center student hours, survey of high school students interested in the nursing profession.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma