November 21, 2002
Genesis Receives Nursing Recruitment And Retention Grants
Genesis Medical Center (GMC) is one of a handful of Iowa hospitals to receive grant money from the Center for Health Care Workforce Shortage to help combat the impact the nationwide nursing shortage is having on Iowa.
The first award focuses on recruitment and retention of current or prospective nurses and nursing assistive personnel. GMC will use the $15,000 grant to reimburse a portion of the expenses registered nurses incur when obtaining specialty certification in their practice area. This certification increases nurses' expertise in caring for the growing number of patients who have complex needs.
The second grant is for $7,500 and will provide training for 10 nurse mentors to support up to 30 nursing students currently employed as assistive personnel. Mentoring programs have demonstrated an improved recruitment and retention rate by helping new graduate nurses' integrate into an organization.
"We are pleased to have been selected to receive not just one but both grants we applied for," said Carole Reid, RN, MSN, Vice President of Patient Services at Genesis Medical Center. "The grants support the development of the mentor program, which was in the initial stage of planning, and an additional new program."
The grants come from a $1.1 million federal funding pool used to establish the Center for Health Care Workforce Shortage at the Iowa Department of Public Health. The funding for this center was a result of the efforts of Sen. Tom Harkin and fueled by work completed through Gov. Tom Vilsack's nursing task force. "Iowa has a national reputation for the high quality of care provided to people in our health care system," said Gov. Vilsack. "We need to do everything we can to recruit and retain quality nurses and caregivers, and give them the support they need to help maintain the health security and quality of life enjoyed by all Iowans."
Genesis Medical Center has initiated several programs to combat the nursing shortage. Other actions include the financial support for the initiation of St. Ambrose University's nursing program, the development of a career ladder program and increased involvement of nurses' participation in decision-making.
For more information about or to apply on-line for a nursing position at Genesis Medical Center, visit the Employment section or contact the Human Resources Department at 563-421-1313.
