OU Health launches initiatives to grow nursing workforce
Aug. 3—NORMAN — As a nationwide nursing shortage continues, OU Health is launching a set of pay and tuition initiatives in an attempt to address the lack of nurses in the state.
According to the Federal Bureau of Health Workforce, Oklahoma has 44,200 nurses, which translates to 11.1 nurses per 1,000 people. OU Health currently has a 19% nursing vacancy rate.
Jennifer Schultz, OU Health senior vice president of marketing and external relations, said the Earl Ziegler College of Nursing at OU Health Sciences Center conferred 287 nursing degrees to graduates this spring. An additional 65 graduates are expected this summer, and 404 undergraduate nursing students are admitted for the fall.
Schultz said the increased interest is promising, but the need for more nursing professionals and patient care roles needs to be addressed immediately.
OU Health is now providing retention bonuses to its current nursing workforce. Interim chief nursing executive Julie Hoff said nurses need a boost as they deal with the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hoff on Monday acknowledged that nurses are still caring for COVID-19 patients daily.
"Through it all, the strength and compassion of our incredible nursing team has been our shining star here at OU Health," Hoff said. "They not only proved invaluable to caring for patients through numerous critical situations, but they also became their friends and their families when the hospitals were forced to tighten visitation policies."
OU Health Travel at Home also will give nurses the option of traveling nurse pay, which would give them a higher hourly rate instead of receiving a benefits package, unless required by law.
According to a release by OU Health, depending on the 401(k) plan, retirement benefits may be paid.
The program is available for new hires and all existing OU Health nurses. Numbers are limited for this program.
To increase weekend staff at OU Medical Center, OU Oklahoma Children's Hospital and OU Edmond Medical Center, the launch of the OU Health Weekend Program will pay nurses who commit to working four 12-hour weekend shifts in each two-week pay period for 72 hours instead of 48.
The program is open to new hires, existing nurses and OU College of Nursing faculty. Nurses can opt to split a weekend shift with a colleague.
Through the OU Health and OU College of Nursing Degree Accelerator Program, OU Health nurses looking to continue their education can receive tuition reimbursement of $5,250 per year for an accredited nursing program, or they can apply for scholarships in RN to BSN, master's in Nursing Administration and post-master's doctorate in Nursing Practice focused on Nursing Administration.
"Evidence suggests that higher nurse education is associated with lower risks of mortality and failure to rescue in acute-care hospitals," Hoff said in a release. "In collaboration with the OU College of Nursing, OU Health is committed to establishing seamless academic progression pathways for OU Health nurses."
Jeff Elkins covers business, living and community stories for The Transcript. Reach him at jelkins@normantranscript.com or at @JeffElkins12 on Twitter.
