INDIANA UNIVERSITY PURDUE UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS

COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Administration Building, Suite 136 355 N. Lansing Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-2896 317-274-7711 Fax: 317-274-5457

UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP TO TACKLE SHORTAGE OF CRITICAL CARE NURSES THROUGH USE OF TECHNOLOGY

INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana's largest healthcare network, the state's largest nursing school and the world's largest specialty nursing organization are teaming up to use technology to increase the number of nurses caring for the growing population of acutely ill patients.

Clarian Health Partners, the IU School of Nursing (IUSON) at IUPUI, and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), through a one-of-a-kind partnership will develop a series of unique online classes to prepare nurses and nursing students across the U.S. in critical care.

Critical care is the area most in need of nurses in the current shortage. According to Diane Billings, an IUSON professor directing the project with IUSON professor Pam Jeffries, nurse vacancies in critical care are expected to exceed 400,000 this year and many hospitals are closing due to an insufficient number of nurses.

"This represents a major step forward in the effort to not only recruit and train nurses, but also to keep nurses challenged by helping them seek new ways to use their skills," said Karlene Kerfoot, senior vice president and chief nurse executive of nursing and patient care services for Clarian.

The courses will address problems common to most online classes, such as students feeling isolated, the inability to incorporate real-world experience, and difficulty in motivating students to interact and offer feedback.

"To our knowledge, this is the first time an online class will so expertly combine the benefits of distance learning with real-life, hands-on clinical experience to ensure quality education and student satisfaction," said IUSON Dean Angela McBride.

The classes will offer students a variety of ways to learn. They include online interactions with experts from across the U.S.; a reference area for the latest research, professional standards, and more; real-life nurse mentors from Clarian to provide support; and real-world clinical experience working with an experienced mentor. The group hopes to eventually offer the courses at hospitals across the U.S. and in other countries.

The project is funded by a nearly $1 million Learning Anywhere Anytime Partnerships (LAAP) grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), part of the U.S. Department of Education. Clarian, IUSON and AACN will provide the remainder of the funding for the $2.1 million project. The project began in September 2001 and will conclude in August 2004.

Return to IUPUI Home