Four Mountain View Hospital Caregivers Accepted Into N2K Nursing Education Program
Mount Hood Community College (MHCC) has instituted an online nursing program this year based in four rural hospitals, the first and only program of its kind in the state to address the need for nurses. The program, called the N2K Nursing Program, was conceived in January as a way of addressing a nursing shortage in rural hospitals in Eastern and Central Oregon . Besides the combination of online, in-home, and hospital clinical sessions, the curriculum is unique in the fact that it was developed in a way that emulates rural nursing more than traditional nursing programs.
Through a partnership with the Oregon Healthcare Career Center (OHCC), hospitals in rural areas such as Madras , Prineville and John Day , are paying $30,000 for existing employees to be educated as nurses. The cost includes books, supplies and tuition for each student.
Four caregivers from Mountain View Hospital (MVH) have been selected to enroll in the N2K Nursing Education Program this fall; Lanisha Hordichok, Shawna Marshall-Potter, Brieona Whitaker and Aiyana Jackson. Tammy Wilson and Will Bean will facilitate the program at MVH as Nurse Educator Associates (NEA).
The N2K students must meet the same requirements as regular nursing students, but are able to complete all of their course-work online. They still need to travel to MHCC or Central Oregon Community College (COCC) in order to perform their lab duties but will be performing their clinical duties at MVH, and at either SCMC-Bend or Sky Lakes Hospital in Klamath Falls . When compared to a conventional classroom nursing program, the N2K students travel very little.
Twelve nurses from MVH have stepped forward to take on the role of Clinical Teaching Associates (CTA); Amy Jordan, Athena Wallace, Donna Larson, Gay Flegel, Karen Rose, Kathleen Franklin, Liz Johnson, Labree Tolman, Linda Henning, Meggen Ditmore, Sharon West and Suzy Matias. Their involvement allows the N2K students to have immediate access to one-on-one attention when they need it, while the CTA’s provide written and oral feedback regarding the student’s progress in meeting clinical objectives.
The program will last for six consecutive quarters, including one summer quarter. Classes began on September 22, 2008. The student’s graduation is planned for March 2010. Once the students graduate they will fulfill a contract committing to a three or four year position of employment at MVH.
The N2K program offers employees at rural hospitals a quick route towards getting their associates degree. Students accepted into MHCC’s nursing program are also “co-accepted” into Oregon Health Sciences University . MHCC is part the Oregon Consortium of Nursing Education (OCNE). Students that graduate with an associate’s degree may choose to go to OHSU and receive their bachelor’s in one year.
MVH is a voluntary, not-for-profit, healthcare organization with the primary mission of offering high quality, acute healthcare and preventative medical care in a caring and compassionate manner to all people who live in, work in or visit Jefferson County and its surrounding areas. For more information about Mountain View Hospital please call 541.475.3882 or visit www.mvhd.org.