"It’s a wicked problem.” That’s how Chris Lantz, associate dean for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, describes the region’s critical shortage of nurses and other health care professionals.
But thanks to a $22.3 million grant from the New Hanover Community Endowment and a group of area stakeholders called the New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership, he’s not alone in finding a solution.
“Our purpose in coming together was to address and problem-solve present and future deficits in the health care workforce within Southeastern North Carolina,” Lantz said. “So our mission has been to identify what those health care needs are and then to aggressively pursue academic programs and other services that produce graduates that can step into those spaces.”
Helping him will be fellow partnership organizers Cape Fear Community College, New Hanover County Schools, the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Together, the institutions will split the more than $22 million, with UNCW and CFCC receiving $10 million each. The money comes from the endowment’s strategic grants, meaning they are multi-year commitments.
For New Hanover County and the region, nursing remains the greatest health care workforce shortage, said Jack Watson, dean of the College of Health and Human Services at UNCW.
“It’s extensive, and the key is that this is not a New Hanover County or Southeastern North Carolina issue,” he said. “This is an issue that’s affecting the entire U.S., and it hasn’t been solved.”
According to NC Nursecast, which forecasts the future supply and demand for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses throughout the state, North Carolina faces an estimated shortage of nearly 12,500 registered nurses.
But over the past year, the partnership – using the mantra “recruit, train and retain”– has seen many new developments in the search for solutions and, according to partnership members, is poised for many more in the new year, including a recent brand facelift.
Facility expansions, simulation lab redesigns, accelerated degree programs, increased enrollment, additional faculty, even summer camps for high schoolers considering health care careers – all are just a few of the ongoing developments within the four-partner partnership.
“We’ve been busy,” said Mary Ellen Naylor, dean of health and human services at Cape Fear Community College. “We created an accelerated hybrid LPN (licensed practical nurse) to ADN (associate degree in nursing) program that allows LPNs to continue to study to become registered nurses. And we’ve also been increasing pathways for graduates to achieve advanced nursing degrees.”
Naylor also said CFCC continues to cross collaborate with its academic and clinical peers across town at UNCW to ensure similar training opportunities and standards, including shared simulation events. Simulation labs are used to replicate real-life medical scenarios.
Some of her institution’s best work, however – and where the bulk of CFCC’s grant money goes – is in providing wrap-around support services for nursing and other health care students, she said.
“Our students have different needs, barriers and challenges,” said Naylor. “These services, paid for by the grant, help with housing, child care and emergencies. Our goal is to set them up for success in their programs and coursework and involve them in the community so they stay in New Hanover County and the region.”
Naylor said the recent, grant-funded hire of a student services navigator has “made a big difference in helping students seek the services they need to be successful, which in the long run affects retention.”
At UNCW, participation in the partnership continues to focus on facility expansion, programming and student services.
“A big part of the grant money received is going to be put toward the expansion of our simulation lab,” said Watson. “We’ve hired the consultant that’s going to be doing the design work for the lab, which will be housed in McNeill Hall. This will give us a significantly larger space for more interprofessional training and to get more simulation time for our nurses.”
Other ongoing initiatives at UNCW aimed at chipping away at the region’s health care workforce shortage include pathway programs, such as the University’s Try Teal program.
“Try Teal gives Cape Fear Community College students in the associate degree nursing program the opportunity to take two courses in UNCW’s RN to BSN program at no cost,” said Watson. “Upon successful completion, they can then enroll in the full, online accelerated program.”
Another UNCW program coming online is the accelerated bachelor’s degree in nursing program, said Watson, which “will allow a student with a bachelor’s degree in another field to transition to the field of nursing in four semesters.”
In Brooke Nigro’s mind, the emphasis on education, instruction and training in helping solve the region’s nursing and health care profession shortage is no surprise.
“Who better to solve this than our local educators from K-12 up through college and beyond?” said Nigro, project director for the New Hanover Community Healthcare Transformation Project, which works with the partnership. “One of the things we needed to do was build our local applicant pool. We needed to be able to say much earlier, ‘How can we help engage and recruit elementary, middle and high school students into these health care fields?’”
This summer, said Nigro, UNCW will host the Interdisciplinary Health Professions Summer Summit (iHPSS), a two-week day camp for high school students in New Hanover County.
“Students will learn about health science careers and receive hands-on learning experiences,” she said. “This is critical to the next generation of local health care professionals.”
And it’s the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce that’s hoping to give that generation a boost through various recruitment, networking and housing initiatives.
“The Wilmington chamber continues its active participation in the N.C. Health Talent Alliance alongside South East Area Health Education Center (SEAHEC) and over 20 health care employers,” said Megan Mullins, chief marketing and engagement officer at the chamber. “Together, we are aligning grant efforts to recruit, train and retain health care professionals.”
This year, said Mullins, “employers will form action teams to collaborate with education partners, host a community event to raise awareness and contribute to statewide workforce surveys. Evidence-based metrics will guide expanded initiatives, including improved engagement with UNCW and CFCC recruitment efforts.”
Creating solutions for affordable housing for students and new graduates will also be a continued priority.
“The chamber is actively discussing joint housing options with stakeholders to enhance … and strengthen regional retention efforts,” she said.
Mullins also mentioned the chamber’s Encounter Wilmington program and the UNCW and CFCC Fellows program – two initiatives that will work to “help new hires connect with the community and provide networking and support for students.”
In the end, Watson said he is confident in the vision and direction of his fellow collaborators as they work to solve the area’s nurse and health care workforce shortage.
“We meet weekly and discuss our next steps, what we’ve been working on, where we’re going and how to collaborate,” he said. “It’s really cool what’s happening here.”
See other stories on Workforce & Recruiting:
Seeking a Workforce Cure
Chamber Plays Pivotal Role in Health Care Workforce Effort
Schools Aim to Grow Apprenticeships
