• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Health / Medicine / Coalition seeks to increase training for nurses

Coalition seeks to increase training for nurses

July 7, 2012 By Matt Kelley

An effort is underway to ensure Iowa’s nursing workforce is properly prepared to meet an increasingly complex and sophisticated health care system. Rita Frantz, Dean of the University of Iowa College of Nursing, is co-leader of the Future of Nursing Iowa Action Coalition.

The work in Iowa and other states follows recommendations contained a 400 page report from the Institute of Medicine. Frantz says the report suggests 80% of the nursing workforce be prepared with a bachelor’s degree by 2020.

“Right now, nationally, 50% of registered nurses are prepared with a bachelor’s degree or higher,” Frantz said. “In Iowa, it is only 26%. So, Iowa has a long way to go to meet that recommendation.” A task force is working on ways to increase the number of bachelor’s degree prepared RNs in Iowa.

Frantz said the task force is hoping to develop a “unified program” so aspiring nurses can complete some of the requirements for a bachelor’s degree at a community college and then “seamlessly” move into another academic program for the remaining course work. Another Institute of Medicine recommendation calls for all hospitals and organizations that employ new nurses to have a residency program.

There are currently very few such programs in Iowa. Frantz believes there are only three or four hospitals in Iowa with nursing residency programs to help nurses with the transition from being a full-time student to a career. A summit is scheduled for Monday (July 9) in Des Moines where health care officials plan to discuss ways for hospitals to implement nursing residency programs.

Iowa has more than 45,000 registered nurses.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, News Tagged With: University of Iowa

Featured Stories

Grundy Center man sentenced to life for killing State Trooper

Jodi Husientruit remembered 27 years after she disappeared

Iowa Supreme Court rules in Mahaska-Marion County regional airport dispute

Pheasant harvest and hunter numbers both up this year

Iowa Supreme Court overturns ruling creating constitutional abortion right

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 7/4/22

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 6/27/22

AJ Green signs with Milwaukee

Iowa to host Georgia Tech in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Iowa State adds a defensive back

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC