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News Release
University of Colorado Hospital Receives Grant to Create Programs Addressing Nursing and Skilled Care Shortages
DENVER (September 10, 2004) — The University of Colorado Hospital recently received a means to better combat the rising shortages of nurses and skilled care workers over the next few years.
The Northern Healthcare Consortium Grant, made possible through a partnership between Workforce Boulder County, the Adams County One Stop Career Center, Northern Colorado Home Health Association, Longmont United Hospital, University of Colorado Hospital and Front Range Community College, allocated $181,000 to both University of Colorado Hospital and Longmont United Hospital. The two-year grant is earmarked to address critical shortages, provide career advancement for entry-level employees, and increase access to education and training for low- to moderate-wage employees through sponsored training.
The grant programs will provide select employees of the University of Colorado Hospital with opportunities for additional education and assistance that can lead to career advancement within healthcare. New services for qualifying employees will include career awareness and student success workshops, academic skill assessment, career interest inventory, career and academic advisors, and skill remediation.
Nationwide, there is a shortage of certified nursing assistants. The project proposes to train 96 individuals in this career area over the grant period.
"The position of certified nursing assistant is an ideal entry-level career starting point within any healthcare organization and provides a base for advancement within the healthcare field," said Kathy Dodaro, director of human resources at University of Colorado Hospital and member of the healthcare steering committee that explored worker shortages in the region. "I am pleased that University of Colorado Hospital has the opportunity to collaborate with such a wonderful alliance of organizations to assist in solving this problem."
Also to be added is a new program for licensed psychiatric technicians (LPTs) at Front Range Community College. The new program will be 32 credit hours, and similar to the competencies in practical nursing, but will also include additional training in pharmacology and psychiatric nursing. These skills will be of great use in psychiatric hospitals and long-term care settings. The increased availability of such workers could assist in providing quality patient care because LPTs will be able to perform some of the tasks currently being provided by RNs, thereby mitigating the nursing shortage.
Other healthcare career instruction options also will include radiological technician, pharmacy technician, medical office assistant, and physical therapist aide.
"This is a fabulous opportunity for the retention and recruitment rates for University of Colorado Hospital," said Dodaro. "It shows we are an employer of choice and are committed to investing in our employees and their growth. It was a win-win opportunity for all the partners that were involved and important for the economic development of Colorado."
The American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC) awarded magnet status to University of Colorado Hospital in 2002. To gain magnet designation, a hospital must exhibit high RN job satisfaction, excellent registered nurse-to-patient ratios, the highest quality of patient care as assessed by its nursing staff, and low registered nurse turnover rate.
University of Colorado Hospital is the Rocky Mountain region's only academic tertiary care and referral center, and has been recognized as one of America's best hospitals, according to U.S.News & World Report. Located in Denver and Aurora, Colo., the hospital is part of the University of Colorado Denver campus, one of three campuses in the University of Colorado system. For more information, visit the Web site at www.uch.edu.