Valley College and Valley Presbeterian Working to take care of the community

If The Department of Finance estimates are correct, California's unemployment rate will jump to 9.7% in 2010, a worrying statistic for students graduating from their programs and looking to find a job. However, Valley Presbyterian Hospital, in conjunction with Valley College, has developed a nurse development program that will prepare future RN's for a nursing career in shaky economy, and a nation that will soon start treating 78 million aging baby boomers.

A $1.4 million grant from Unihealth, an independent private healthcare foundation, will be used over three years by Valley Presbyterian to fully develop the nurse development program which will generate four programs: a high-school volunteer/mentoring program for high schoolers interested in nursing, a clinical care extender program for the college age pre-nurse student, a nurse scholarship program and a nurse residency program.

Currently, 18 Valley nursing students are in Valley Presbyterian's nurse development program, where they do their clinicals. They are the first class in this program and will graduate in December 2009. Valley Presbyterian hopes to admit the second class in March 2009.

"We've increased Valley College's [nursing student] capacity by twenty students," said Director of Education Neil Apeles, the mastermind behind the nurse development program. "By being provided this funding, we've effectively paid upfront for those students. We don't have to worry about [budget] cuts affecting this program."

Without having to worry about statewide budget cuts, Valley Presbyterian began construction of a state-of-the-art nursing simulation lab. Although Valley College has a simulation lab, it only has a few beds and is not tech-forward.

Presbyterian's simulation lab, which opens January 2009, will contain three medical/surgical beds, one labor and delivery unit, an ICU unit with two beds and most importantly high fidelity patient mannequins that mimic live patients by giving physical and vocal feedback. Mannequins in labor can be programmed to simulate birthing complications; including hemorrhaging and baby patient mannequins can cry and poop. Nurses are encouraged to take risks they might not take on a live patient, even if it means killing them - over and over again.

"This is a very big, exciting project," said Valley Presbyterian's Education Manager Ali Tayyeb, who is in charge program oversight and construction of the lab. "There is no lab like this at a community hospital. We tried to make [the simulation lab] as realistic as possible. The ultimate goal is for better patient outcome. We train [nurses] for unexpected emergencies, new techniques and critical thinking skills. This [simulation lab] is a safe environment. If you've never been in a code before, but you've had simulation lab experience, when you get to the real code it'll be second nature."

The ability to work effectively under pressure will be important for nurses in the years to come. According to CBS News, 78 million baby boomers will reach retirement age in the next few years; the oldest turned 62 this year. This generation of baby boomers are not only living longer but they also, generally, had fewer children, leaving them with fewer options for help in their old age. An aging baby boomer generation combined with a nationwide nursing shortage means preparing qualified and competent nurses is critical.

"In a global sense there is a nursing shortage, but if you take a closer look at it, we have an internal nursing shortage," said Apeles. "With [organizations] offering large sign-on bonuses, nurses go from one hospital to another. We need qualified competent nurses [with an incentive] to stay."

According to Nursing Economist$, California is facing the greatest nursing shortage and has the lowest number of nurses per capita of all 50 states. It is estimated that by 2030 there will be a shortage of approximately 99,945 to 122,223 full time nurses in California. Valley Presbyterian Hospital partnered with Valley College in order to help solve the nursing shortage problem at the community level by providing high-level training and mentoring.

"We have a special relationship with Valley [College]," said Tayyeb.