Minot State University meets the need for nurses

MINOT, N.D. (AP) — Minot State University student Jennifer Mathieson envisions a future as a pediatric nurse. Her interest in health care and working with children set her on a course toward nursing, but it's the variety and the opportunities in the profession that are making it an attractive career choice.

"There are so many areas you can go into, and you will always have a job," she said.

The demand for nurses has been strong for some time, and forecasts indicate that isn't going to change soon, the Minot Daily News (http://bit.ly/1QGSJfM ) reported. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the need for nurses will grow at a rate of 16 percent, creating 439,300 new jobs by 2024. Already, the nation faces a nursing shortage.

Trinity Health has been fortunate to have quality applicants when it has vacancies, said Chief Nursing Officer Karen Zimmerman. However, the nursing shortage is enough of a concern that Trinity stays in a recruiting mode and looks beyond Minot or even North Dakota to ensure those job applicants keep coming.

"It is hard to get people to come to North Dakota," Zimmerman said. "You have to really recruit people who understand our culture and our climate and what it means to live in North Dakota."

Minot's cost of living, particularly housing, has been a hurdle in recent years to recruitment. However, Trinity has implemented the "grow your own" plan with good results. Trinity has assisted employees who want to move from certified nursing assistants to licensed practical nurses and eventually to registered nurses through scholarships and support for local nursing education programs.

Trinity strives to provide as much clinical assistance to Minot State University and the Dakota Nursing Program as those programs need, Zimmerman said. So far, Trinity has been able to meet those clinical needs, plus provide summer internships.

If Trinity can get a nursing student on its campus for clinicals or internships, they are far more likely to take a job with Trinity when they graduate, Zimmerman said.

"That really does a lot in terms of recruitment," she said.

Also helping Trinity with recruitment is its policy of hiring new graduates. In many states, health-care facilities insist on nurses with experience, so Trinity is able to attract new nurses looking to get that experience under their belts. Many may stay only a year or two but some stay long-term.

In the past, Trinity hired nurses from the Philippines to help address a shortage. Many of those nurses since have moved on, but some remain and have particularly been an asset at Trinity Homes, Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman said the Trinity Foundation plans to meet soon to talk about steps it can take to be more aggressive with recruiting, whether that means more scholarships, sign-on bonuses or other incentives.

"You also have to look at what are you doing to take care of the staff who have been here," she said, noting the foundation also will look at benefits and pay.

With about 90 positions to fill, Sanford Health recently began offering $20,000 signing bonuses to registered nurses in North Dakota who have a year of experience and meet other qualifications. The bonuses apply to jobs at Sanford facilities in Bismarck and Fargo and require a three-year commitment.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median salary nationally for a registered nurse was $66,640 in 2014. Job Service North Dakota's 2014 wage survey of 7,680 registered nursing positions showed a median salary of $58,120.

With its strategy of hiring new graduates and working to retain nurses, Trinity maintains a fairly balanced workforce across the age and experience spectrum.

"We certainly have nurses that have a lot of experience," Zimmerman said. Experienced nurses are required to fill positions in certain critical care areas or home health care.

Zimmerman said the nursing shortage is predicted to reach an all-time high by 2020. Getting more people to consider nursing is only part of the solution because there first must be instructors to train them.

MSU is on the hunt for new instructors, said Nursing Department Chairwoman Niki Roed. Five staff members are nearing retirement and replacements will be needed. MSU has 18 full-time and four part-time instructors who, along with teaching nursing courses, teach health-related courses needed in other academic programs at the university.

MSU has sought to fill its staffing needs by finding nurses in the community who are interested in teaching, Roed said. MSU then extends its resources to help them complete projects or engage in practicums so they can obtain advanced degrees.

Nursing educators must hold master's degrees and at least a quarter of MSU's faculty must hold doctorates under the guidelines of the college's accrediting organization. Only the University of Mary in Bismarck and the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks offer the advanced level training, and salaries for nurse educators in the North Dakota University System are only slightly higher than a new graduate in clinical care, Roed said. The low compensation is offset by greater autonomy and flexibility as well as the reward of being able to impact students' lives, she said.

The number of instructors and availability of clinical sites can limit a program's student capacity.

"Right now we have more applicants than what we have slots for, but not a lot. We used to have many more. There are so many opportunities for women. A lot of people don't want to go into a profession that's going to be working nights, weekends and holidays, so the applications are down," Roed said.

The department also must be conscious of the quality of applicants it accepts. Neither the department nor the applicant benefit if nursing proves to be the wrong fit and a student drops out of the program, Roed said.

"We have a rigorous admissions criteria to help that," she said.

Classes at MSU remain predominantly female, although more men are showing interest. Roed said the average is two male students in most classes. Male students see opportunities being wide open for nurses, and it's a stepping stone to further educational advancement as a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant, she said.

The MSU nursing program has about 170 students, including both associate-degree registered nurses seeking to complete bachelor's programs and pre-licensed students just getting into nursing.

"We are averaging right around 60 to 70 graduates a year," Roed said. About 50 percent stay in Minot. Most stay in the state.

"Our job placement rate is 100 percent. If they want a job, they can get a job," Roed said.

She added it usually is possible to place students in internships in their areas of interest, whether its intensive care, emergency room, obstetrics, surgery or public health. That can lead to jobs.

"It's like a 12-week interview with that organization," Roed said. "They (organizations) benefit from hiring the individual as well because they really have a lot under their belt."

The Dakota Nursing Program, which provides training in Minot through Dakota College at Bottineau, reports a 100 percent placement rate for graduates as well. The nursing education consortium also includes Bismarck State College, Lake Region State College and Williston State College, educating about 200 practical and associate-degree nurses each year. Courses are delivered in a combination of face-to-face lab and clinical courses, with theory courses over the Interactive Video Network.

Dakota College has instructors on-site in Minot to oversee exams, tutor, advise students and conduct study groups. Trinity provides lab space on its St. Joseph's campus and serves as a clinical partner in offering hands-on experience to students.

Currently, nine students are in the associate-degree program and six in the practical nursing program offered in Minot, said Julie Traynor of Devils Lake, director of the Dakota Nursing Program. However, she noted the program is in a transition that has resulted in low numbers this session. It is expected to be back at capacity with 16 students in each program next term.

"We generally are able to accept everybody who is qualified," she said. "It seems like there's been more interest of late."

To qualify to get into the program, students must meet certain academic standards. There are college-level general education requirements in addition to nursing courses but students can take those online or on the nearest campus if they haven't already completed them.

About 75 to 80 percent of graduates in the one-year practical nursing program enter the associate degree program, which involves a second year of training. Of those who obtain associate degrees, more than half go on to obtain bachelor's degrees through a four-year university. Traynor explained these figures represent nurses who immediately advance their training. Others may practice for a time as an LPN or associate-degreed RN before returning for additional education.

"It's a very flexible, very student-friendly program in that you get a certificate or a degree at the end of every stage," Traynor said.

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Information from: Minot Daily News, http://www.minotdailynews.com

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