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Creighton University
2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE. 68178
780170 California Plaza Omaha, NE. 68178-0170
www.creighton.edu
Instagram – @creighton1878; Facebook – Creighton University; LinkedIn – Creighton University; witter - @Creighton;TikTok – @Creighton1878
Catherine Todero, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean, College of Nursing & Vice Provost, Health Sciences Campuses
CatherineTodero@creighton.edu
+1 (402) 280-3001
Yes
Mary Kunes-Connell, PhD, RN, Associate Dean, Academics, Assessment & Accreditation; Julie Manz, PhD, RN, CNE, Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Programs; Chelsie Hamzhie, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, Accelerated Faculty Chair - Omaha; Undergraduate Faculty of College of Nursing, Creighton University
Creighton University College of Nursing (CUCON) organizational chart illustrates the support staff on the left side of the chart and the faculty and program administration primarily on the right side of the chart. Creighton offers its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) in Omaha, Nebraska which is in the QCT. There is a specific Faculty Chair to provide direct leadership to the involved faculty. Undergraduate program administration is provided by an Assistant Dean. Oversight of programmatic quality is assured by an Associate Dean for Academic Assessment and Accreditation. (See attached org. chart with named positions illustrated in the darker boxes.)
Creighton’s BSN undergraduate program is ranked in the top 8% (#51 of 681) of nursing programs in the country for 2023. Creighton has ranked highly nationally since the ratings have been done. Creighton has successfully offered its Accelerated Bachelor of Science (ABSN) for 47 years. Creighton’s ABSN was started in 1975 and was one of the first in the nation. Creighton’s NCLEX pass rates routinely exceed state and national pass rates. Pass rates typically average in the low to mid 90’s. Creighton College of Nursing (CON) has established innovative 3+1 programs with four other Nebraska colleges or universities (Hastings College, York University, Concordia University – Nebraska, Wayne State College) which allow these liberal arts institutions and WSC to offer a nursing major through curricular collaboration. Creighton CON ABSN graduates are exceptionally competent and compassionate clinicians who are highly recruited by employers for the maturity and life experiences they bring to the discipline. Creighton also offers a graduate program to prepare advanced practice clinicians. Creighton was the first school in the state of Nebraska to offer the DNP credential.
Nebraska ANEW- Accelerate Nursing Education and Workforce
14300000.0
11300000.0
Service/program
Nebraska ANEW-Accelerate Nursing Education and Workforce is one of four proposals being submitted by Creighton University. The four innovative and thoughtful projects collectively have the potential to be transformative, lead generational change, and have long-lasting economic growth. Nebraska needs nurses. In Nebraska, 66 of the state's counties have been deemed medically underserved. The current nursing shortage in the State of Nebraska is 4,192, which will increase to 5,436 in the year 2025. Approximately 50% of the statewide shortage is in the Omaha area. This nursing shortage affects both Nebraska's physical health and its economic health. Lack of care impedes the ability of communities throughout the state to attract and retain residents and the businesses that employ them. The pandemic, which disrupted the education of clinicians-in-training, has exacerbated, and intensified the needs. Nurses have also been part of the “great resignation” which followed the pandemic. Inadequate numbers of healthcare workers, in particular nurses, has led to staggering temporary contract labor costs and has resulted in closures and loss of health services in many healthcare systems. It is imperative that the supply of nurses be substantially increased to help address this workforce crisis. Creighton University offers a compelling proposal to increase the numbers of students who will have an accessible opportunity to pursue nursing careers in Nebraska. Through this initiative we seek $12.6 million from Nebraska ARPA funds to guarantee a minimum of 120 ABSN nursing graduates over the next three years committed to practice in Nebraska for three years. We will recruit an additional 40 students/year for the Creighton campus over the next three years, 2023-2026. Through this partnership we will provide talented and diverse students with a 40% scholarship and 20% tuition forgiveness per year for three years in exchange for a three-year commitment to work in Nebraska as a registered nurse. Lastly, because the program is intensive and students typically are encouraged not to work, the students would receive a $25,000 healthcare and living stipend.
This proposal will be implemented over a three-year timeline 2023-2026. There are two admission cycles/year for the ABSN program. Assuming funds are available to begin scholarships in August 2023 (preferred option for Creighton) all 120 students will have completed the one-year program by mid-August of 2026. If scholarships funds are not available until January of 2024, an additional 12 students to the admission cycles in 2024 and 2025. Students will be tracked for the full-time three-year state work obligation to which they committed to receive the scholarship and funding. The tracking timeline will continue through 2029. Students who do not complete the work obligation will not have loans forgiven and the funds will be reallocated to another student who is willing to commit to serve Nebraska. Students will be asked to sign an agreement which addresses this obligation. Additional Admissions for the ABSN program* Year January August Total 2023 24 24 2024 24 24 48 2025 24 24 48 120 OR Year January August Total 2024 30 30 60 2025 30 30 60 120 *These students must commit to working full-time in Nebraska for at least three years. By July 2025, 80% of the program will be completed. i.e. 96 of the total 120 students will have been recruited and educated assuming a start date of August 2023. If the start date is later and students are not enrolled until January 2024 and adjusting student enrollment numbers, then by July 2025 75% of the program will be completed.
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Long-Lasting Economic Growth (i.e., a proposal that will foster gainful employment opportunities and financial investment in the area, leading to the creation of generational wealth and widespread economic vitality in North and South Omaha)
Policy (i.e., develop or improve context-sensitive education, finance, health, training, zoning, etc.) Quality of Life (i.e., create or enhance natural spaces, mixed uses, parks, safety, etc.)
Creighton University offers a compelling proposal to guarantee a minimum of 120 ABSN nursing graduates over the next three years committed to practice in Nebraska for three years. These practice ready graduates will help fill the nursing shortage that the state and specifically the Omaha community is experiencing. For a community to thrive, healthcare must be accessible but also high quality. A robust nursing workforce is important for the infrastructure and economic stability of any hospital or healthcare organization. Adequate nursing personnel assure that patients get the care they need, and patient outcomes are enhanced. Nurses also help improve community health in their capacity as engaged community members thus contributing to quality of life for community residents.
Nebraska ANEW-Accelerate Nursing Education and Workforce supports the findings of the visioning workshops for North and South Omaha by producing nurses committed to working in Nebraska for three years. This directly supports the retention of the young population to generate social capital. It also creates a career pathway to decrease labor shortages, specifically nursing shortages in Nebraska and nationally. Nursing education often appeals to first generation university students. Opportunities for a degree in nursing supported by scholarship and a living stipend, allow for a bridge to community enrichment and the upskilling of a workforce. Salaries in nursing are very respectable and can support a family; thus, providing a gateway to building generational wealth. Generational wealth affects social mobility, financial security and access to resources. All of which would be key reinvestment opportunities in North and South Omaha. As an institution of higher learning within the designated census tracts, Creighton brings education to our community and can draw upon the rich diversity within the community to provide health care providers that reflect their communities. Public comments stressed, and this initiative supports, the need for public-private partnerships within the communities to increase investment. The need for workforce upskilling was identified as a specific opportunity by the public participants. South Omaha public comments included the opportunity to develop and expand health care jobs, which would be the direct result of the Nebraska-ANEW section of the Creighton proposal.
As outlined in LB 1024, the focus of the bill is to mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency and those related challenges that were disproportionately felt in low-income and minority communities such as North and South Omaha. Creighton is in the qualified census tract and has a long history of providing, through its health professions education programs, low-cost or free healthcare services in the designated census tracts. Assistance for students to attend Creighton and earn nursing degrees helps address the needs of these communities long into the future. This Creighton University proposal creates access to resources to support the education of students for ABSN education with a three-year commitment to the State of Nebraska. Creighton’s proposal for Nebraska-ANEW directly addresses the critical nursing shortage exacerbated by COVID-19. The intent of the program is to provide nursing professionals that will remain in the metropolitan area and return that education and resources to their communities by investing themselves and their resources in the community. The Creighton University proposal directly benefits the designated census tracts within North and South Omaha by including recruitment of members of the community from those demographic areas as outlined in LB 1024. The proposal will also help support the designated communities and the state with more access and support of healthcare by addressing the nursing shortage.
This proposal will not create jobs, but rather will contribute to the documented shortage of registered nurses in our Nebraska communities. This proposal seeks to prepare graduates who will fill some of the positions that are currently open in virtually every hospital or healthcare organization in the state. The median salary for nurses in Nebraska in 2022 is $69,000. This is likely to rise in the future. A BSN in nursing is an entry point into the profession and with additional credentials nurses can make substantially more income.
Medium Salary for nurses in Nebraska in 2022 is 69000.
Physical health, mental health, and general perceptions of well-being are important factors in a good quality of life. Access to high quality health care is therefore a vital component to assure quality of life in any community. Without the nurses needed to care for patients, hospitals have been forced to close beds or discontinue services. Last year from August-December 2021, Governor Ricketts issued Executive Order 21-12 to authorize the credentialing of retired or inactive healthcare professionals, defer certain continuing education requirements, and suspend various statutes to allow new healthcare providers seeking a license to begin practice. Additionally, Gov. Ricketts issued a Directed Health Measure (DHM) to respond to the hospital staffing shortage. The DHM suspended inpatient Class D and Class E elective surgeries for all Acute Care, Critical Care, and Children's Hospitals. These are elective surgeries that can wait four weeks or longer without substantially changing a patient's outcome. To facilitate these actions, Governor Ricketts declared a hospital staffing emergency as part of the EO. Closed beds and staggering costs of temporary contract labor (travelling nurses) have created severe financial pressures on many hospitals. Nationwide 53% of healthcare systems are projected to have negative margins for the rest of 2022. CommonSpirit, parent company of CHI hospitals, sprinkled throughout Nebraska, reported an operating loss of $1.3 billion for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2022. The answer to improving hospital financial performance includes lowering contract labor costs, reducing nurse turnover and improving recruitment and retention. This project will contribute to the supply side of the nursing equation for the state of Nebraska.
Success of the project will be measured by tracking outcomes of graduation, employment, and salaries. The specific outcomes to be tracked will include the number of scholarship recipients who graduate within the one-year timeframe and who successfully pass the national licensing exam to practice as a registered nurse in Nebraska. The College of Nursing will track these data. Additional outcomes to be measured will include employment as a registered nurse in the state of Nebraska for at least three years. This will be tracked by a Creighton employed Program Manager assigned to the NE-ANEW program. Additionally, the first job obtained upon graduation and the starting salary will also be tracked as an outcome by the Creighton University Career Center.
This will be tracked by a Creighton employed Program Manager assigned to the NE-ANEW program. Additionally, the first job obtained upon graduation and the starting salary will also be tracked as an outcome by the Creighton University Career Center.
Yes
Creighton University's College of Nursing has secured four partnerships with smaller colleges and universities in the state (that do not offer nursing degrees) to offer the Accelerated Bachelor of Science degree in a 3+1 curricular arrangement. The partnerships include Hastings College, York University, Concordia University – Nebraska, and Wayne State College. These partnerships provide a pipeline of students for Creighton’s Accelerated BSN program in addition to the students Creighton recruits from its Omaha campus and the surrounding community. The partnerships are also good for the participating universities because it allows them a viable option for recruiting students to their campuses who may wish to have a nursing career without having to establish their own nursing major. The option contributes to the economic health of the college and the rural communities where the colleges are located. The model also benefits students in several ways. Students fully engage in the smaller liberal arts college experience. It is popular with student athletes who may want to play college sports but not be able to do so at a larger institution. Students also graduate with two degrees in four years. All the partnerships are formalized through written agreements detailing each partner’s responsibility. Since nursing is a practice discipline Creighton CON also has several contracts with community-based agencies that provide learning opportunities for nursing students. Among these are the hospital systems, such as CHI, Methodist, Veterans Administration and Omaha Children’s Hospital as well as Federally Qualified Health Centers, and a myriad organizations that provide health care or social services such as housing for the underserved; several of these partnerships bring nursing students and faculty and their care to residents of the Qualified Census Tracts.
No
The education of the ABSN students will take place at Creighton University 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178. Creighton University is within the Qualified Census Tract. Students also provide nursing clinical services with vulnerable/under-resourced populations across the lifespan at several locations within the QCT including: • CHI Health - Creighton University Medical Center, 2412 Cuming St. • Creighton University Medical Center- Bergan Mercy, 7500 Mercy Road • Boystown National Research Hospital, 601 N 30th St. • Educare Kellom 2123 Paul St. • Educare Indian Hill, 3110 W St. • Corrigan Senior Center 3819 X St. • One World Community Health Centers, Livestock Exchange 4920 So. 30th St. • Monen Clinic at Heart Ministries Center, 2221 Wirt St. • Charles Drew Health Center, 2915 Grant St. A more complete list of service locations within the QCT is included in the attached document (Community Agencies).
Within one or more QCTs
See attached proforma.
Creighton University will utilize LB1024 funds to recruit and educate 120 nursing students over three years beginning August 2023. Creighton will target to recruit students for the Omaha campus for the terms beginning in August and January of each academic year (year three will only target students for the August term). Graduates must commit to working in Nebraska as registered nurses to receive a 40% scholarship and 20% tuition remission for three years. The cost of tuition and fees is estimated at $3.0 million in academic year 2023, with annual increases in tuition rates and fees totaling 3%, for a total estimated cost of $7.6 million. Recognizing this is an intense program and students will have limited ability to work outside the program, each student will receive a $25,000 stipend to cover health care and living costs during their time in the program. To administer the program Creighton will add a clinical placement manager and a program manager. Creighton University requests reimbursement for the salary and benefit cost associated with these positions, estimated at $0.7 million. If funds are not available to begin scholarships until January 2024, there will be adjustments to the budget associated with the number of students enrolled each year as rates and fees are updated annually. The total change in the program cost over the three-year period would be less than $50,000. First year costs would be lower, offset by higher costs in years two and three of the program
No
Since this proposal is dependent on student scholarships, it would not be extendable beyond the initial 3-year window unless an additional source of funding was identified.
Due to the timeline to recruit both students and faculty, and the facility requirements of the program, it will be challenging to scale beyond the initial commitment of 120 additional students on the Omaha campus. However, awareness of the assistance may make this process easier and scaling up could be possible. Students are typically admitted in cohorts of eight. The numbers up or down could be raised or lowered each term by that factor. Meaningful impact to the workforce is not accomplished if the proposal is scaled back too far, but numbers of students supported could be adjusted. The proposed budget cost per graduate is shown in the attached budget request.
Creighton University will contribute an estimated $3.0 million in incremental investment related to staffing, recruiting, supplies, other non-salary related expenses and facility costs. This total includes an estimated $1.9 million in faculty salaries and benefits and $0.1 million in staff salaries and benefits to support ongoing program management. Recruitment costs for students and faculty are estimated to be $0.3 million. Costs related to materials and other non-salary expenses are estimated to be $0.4 million and the estimate for facility related costs is $0.4 million. See the Worksheet attached which specifically lists Creighton University contribution.
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Organizational Chart Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses