Abstract
Based on a 6-year, learn and earn curriculum, the authors report on a year-old project that assists licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to obtain a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN). Partnerships with 4 area healthcare agencies employing LPNs were developed to support students with full or partial tuition reimbursement and work schedules to accommodate classes. Key university staff in the offices of admissions, financial aid, adult programs and services, and nursing advisement are assigned to this student group to provide individualized assistance. The authors discuss unique components of the project including regularly scheduled role transition seminars, faculty mentors, BSN and nurse practitioner clinical mentors, and clinical experiences in nurse-managed clinics.
Tennessee, like most states, is experiencing an acute nursing shortage. Area hospital and medical centers have many unfilled positions and are offering cash incentives to attract registered nurses (RNs) 1,2 One approach to providing an additional pool of RNs to fill vacant positions is to promote the educational mobility of licensed practical nurses (LPNs or LVNs).
In 1996, the Tennessee Health Care Consortium for Nursing (now the Tennessee Center for Nursing) was formed by nursing administrators, educators, and leaders across the state, supported by funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This is a multiorganizational, multidisciplinary group. Its goal is to gather and analyze data on the nursing workforce and make recommendations to meet the present and future healthcare needs of Tennesseans. One of the recommendations was to develop a state-wide master plan for educational mobility for nurses to obtain baccalaureate and master's degrees by removing unnecessary barriers. 2 The Community Partnerships for LPN to BSN Career Mobility Project evolved from this recommendation.
There are several advantages for supporting educational opportunities for LPNs living in this area. First, graduates of the university where the project is located tend to remain in the region and are employed in area industries or healthcare service organizations. Students are typically first generation college students, native to one of 35 surrounding counties of which 66% are classified with high or moderately high poverty rates, and culturally southern Appalachian. Southern Appalachians have values and beliefs grounded in family, religion, individual independence, and traditional roles for men and women. 3-6 These characteristics suggest that native Appalachian LPN to BSN graduates would remain in their county of residence and help alleviate the critical nursing shortage.
Second, LPNs tend to be older, more mature, and experienced in the reality of the work environment of today's acute and long-term care facilities. They are more focused on long-term employment in healthcare and are dedicated workers. Therefore, not only are LPN to BSN programs a sound educational investment, they will most likely generate long-term benefits in meeting the healthcare needs of the community.