There’s a shortage of registered nurses across the United States, and according to data from the
Health Workforce Analysis that shortage could range from 60,000 to 78,000 unfilled roles this year alone. Several factors are contributing to that growing deficiency, including the number of nurses retiring and an increase in the country’s aging population, which increases the demand for care.
A large factor in the shortage is a lack of nursing faculty and clinical locations for nursing programs. This restricts the ability of schools to enroll and graduate nursing students. The
American Association of Colleges of Nurses (AACN) reported that in October of 2023, there were over 1,900 vacant nurse faculty positions. In another report, the AACN found nursing schools were unable to enroll over 65,000 applicants because of inadequate staff and clinical locations.
Regionally, healthcare providers like Parkview Health are taking steps to address the lack of registered nurses. In 2022, they launched a collaboration with local universities, hoping to strengthen their nursing programs by providing instructors and clinical locations. Indiana University School of Nursing in Fort Wayne was one of the first colleges with which Parkview partnered. Because nursing students from Indiana University Fort Wayne (IUFW) already attend clinicals at Parkview locations, building the program on top of their preexisting academic relationship was logical.
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Selena Oxender/Story Photography by SelenaRoni Elliott, Parkview nurse and Indiana University Fort Wayne instructor, helps a student during clinical.Johnathan Liechty, director of nursing professional development, has been with Parkview for over 30 years. Originally joining Parkview as a nursing student who then went through Parkview’s
nurse residency program, he directly sees the benefits of the collaboration.
“The program supports the mutual goals to ensure our communities have the number and quality of nurses needed to care for the region,” Liechty says.
Through this program, Parkview nurses have the opportunity to work as clinical instructors at partner schools. This helps extend the clinical faculty at the universities and secures clinical locations for the students, allowing for increased enrollment of nursing students.
Christine Higbie, director of nursing professional development, matches qualified Parkview nurses with local universities. For a nurse to be considered for an instructor position, they must have a Master of Science in Nursing and know how to practice confidently at Parkview Health locations.
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Selena Oxender/Story Photography by SelenaAs a Parkview nurse and Indiana University Fort Wayne instructor, Roni Elliott helps students gain experience in clinical settings at Parkview.Higbie says that she invests in relationships with the university staff and greatly considers their needs with the fit of the nurse she recommends. Much time and care is put into the relationship between Higbie and the university faculty. She dedicates herself to becoming familiar with the culture, staff, and unique needs of each university before recommending a Parkview nurse to be an instructor. Higbie equally considers the personality of the nurse, their training, and clinical specialty prior to suggesting an instructor position.
With existing shortages for hospital-based nurses and academic-based nurses, the program provides an answer for both, allowing Parkview nurses who want to teach students the opportunity to do so while maintaining their position as a Parkview nurse.
“They appreciate being part of the faculty at the school and being Parkview nurses at the same time. They love supporting each student’s growth and development,” says Erin LaCross, senior vice president of nursing professional development.
Roni Elliott, who works as a Parkview nurse and an instructor at IUFW, says it’s a dream job.
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Selena Oxender/Story Photography by SelenaRoni Elliott, Parkview nurse and Indiana University Fort Wayne instructor, talks with students during a clinical. “The faculty and staff at Indiana University Fort Wayne are great,” Elliot says. “They want success for their students and they do have high expectations of them.”
As a student, Elliott had clinical rotations at Parkview and then decided to practice there as a nurse because of the positive environment and potential for growth. Now, she’s been a Parkview nurse for 10 years, specializing in obstetrics. As an instructor, she teaches obstetrics, fundamentals, and capstone clinicals, with eight to ten students per clinical class.
Small class sizes and more direct personal instruction are one of the great things about the collaboration, Elliott explains. Students in her clinicals, particularly obstetrics, can see how she interacts with nurses and can guide students through the intricacies of being a hospital nurse. Elliot’s students attend clinicals at Parkview locations such as Parkview Regional, Parkview Randallia and Parkview Huntington.
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Selena Oxender/Story Photography by SelenaA student from Indiana University's School of Nursing Fort Wayne asks Parkview Nurse and Instructor Roni Elliott questions about electronic health records.The partnership allows nursing students to attain experience in various clinical settings, building their confidence and clinical competency.
“Our nurse instructors aren’t just passing along information, they become mentors and soundboards to their students,” says Liechty.
Students who have Parkview nurses as instructors are given the benefit of working with professionals who are familiar and confident with the inner workings of the health system. Parkview nurse instructors are fluent in the electronic health record and other technology used during clinicals and can guide students through typical nursing workflows while providing patient care. Students also gain more in-depth exposure to what it’s like to practice as a hospital nurse, to different duties and roles on various hospital units, and are introduced to the Parkview culture– which has been recognized for its
excellence in the nursing field.
The partnership between IUFW and Parkview also provides future employment opportunities for its students.
“Nurses and managers notice students who are hard-working and good team members,” says Elliot.
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Selena Oxender/Story Photography by SelenaParkview Nurse and Indiana University Fort Wayne Instructor Roni Elliott with IUFW nursing students.Indiana University School of Nursing, Fort Wayne has been a consistent source of highly-trained and professional new graduate nurses– a testament to the program's achievements. According to Liechty, the collaboration was a fast success. Along with increased enrollment, more students are completing the program and graduating. They’ve also witnessed an increased passing rate from their students taking the nurse licensing exam, known as the NCLEX.
Parkview also implemented this program at other local universities, such as Ivy Tech and the University of Saint Francis. In February 2023,
Taylor University announced its partnership with Parkview to establish its nursing program on campus.
Indiana Tech and Huntington University partnered with Parkview in 2023 as well as the universities launched their new accelerated bachelor of science in nursing (ABSN) program.
Currently, ten Parkview nurse instructors are teaching across the region, and each instructor teaches approximately three clinicals a term. “We are excited as the programs continue to grow, because that means we are collectively supporting more individuals who have chosen to become nurses,” shares LaCross.
This article was made possible by Parkview Health.