Lane Community Health Council Makes Significant Investment in Nursing Education
KLCC’s “Oregon On The Record” featured a specific podcast conversation with Dr. Reed Mueller, VP for Academic Affairs at Bushnell University on the Nursing shortage: Bushnell steps in with new program. Find the full story here.
Bushnell University’s School of Nursing, one of the anchor academic programs within the College of Health Professions, has received a sizable grant from Lane Community Health Council (LCHC) to expand its efforts to meet the nursing workforce shortage in Lane County. As a part of its ongoing mission to improve the health and well-being of residents of Lane County, LCHC has designated $2.5 million to help Bushnell build a state-of-the-art Nursing Simulation Lab and to provide scholarships for student nurses completing their Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) degree for clinical practice.
Lane Community Health Council is partnering with Bushnell University to meet the ongoing crisis of the nursing shortage in our region through this significant investment in nursing education. Bushnell University has quickly distinguished itself among the ABSN programs in the state for its innovative approach and successful clinical and academic outcomes. These funds will support ongoing excellence in the School of Nursing as one of the best healthcare programs in the region while also maximizing student enrollment capacity in the program. This will allow Bushnell to meet the state-wide nursing shortage more quickly and effectively. Additionally, the funds will be deployed to address systemic inequities in healthcare by recruiting more students from diverse populations. The School of Nursing is committed to best practices in educating nurses on the healthcare needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized in our communities.
Nursing simulation labs are the hallmark of modern clinical nursing education. Simulation training utilizes high-tech, responsive patient manikins, providing students the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge to real-life medical situations. In simulated scenarios, nursing students get to both observe their peers and evaluate their own care using video recording and playback technology. This prepares student nurses efficiently and effectively prior to their required in-person clinical rotations in traditional hospital and community health settings.
This generous funding from LCHC, along with additional contributions from individual donors, family foundations, and local businesses, brings the fundraising efforts of Bushnell’s Health Professions Initiative to a total of just over $4.5M since the accelerated program began in January 2022. Together with the generous donation of over 11,000 square feet of education space in the Center for Medical Education and Research (CMER) at PeaceHealth’s Sacred Heart Medical Center University District (UD) campus, these funds provide the University much needed start-up costs to equip and establish this innovative nursing program.
Bushnell’s nursing graduates are already making a difference in Oregon, with 62% of them choosing to stay in Lane County and over 90% practicing in-state. ABSN students can complete this full-time, pre-licensure nursing program in 12 months. Bushnell graduates currently have a 100% first-time passing rate on the required licensure exam for nursing practice (NCLEX-RN) and a 100% job placement rate upon completion. The program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN).
Bushnell seeks to raise an additional $4.0M for the Health Professions Initiative through ongoing fundraising efforts and community partnerships. Additional resources will serve ongoing needs of the School of Nursing and expand behavioral health education through the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CHMC) graduate programs. Through this initiative, Bushnell will be able to enhance scholarship opportunities, train and graduate more healthcare professionals, and enlarge the scope of health education options in our region.
About Lane Community Health Council
The Lane Community Health Council (LCHC) collaborates closely with physicians, hospitals, other healthcare providers and local community organizations to improve the health and well-being of residents in Lane County. Learn more at their website: https://www.lchealthcouncil.org.
The LCHC governs our local Coordinated Care Organization (CCO), PacificSource Community Solutions, in agreement with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), serving Medicaid members enrolled in the CCO on the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). The LCHC works to guide the design, development and implementation of strategic initiatives in support of the CCO, in service to the mission of better health, better care and better value for our members in Lane County.
