BSN Learning Pathways: A Leadership Collaboration to Prepare and Retain New Nurses in Specialized Practice Areas

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Workforce Development
• Clinical Staffing Solutions

Background:

• Significant nursing shortages exist in specialized areas.
• High attrition rates impact both experienced and new graduate nurses.
• Creative recruitment, preparation, and retention strategies are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a collaborative model between educational institutions and health authorities.
• To address the need for preparing and retaining nurses in high-priority specialty areas.
• To offer a replicable model for other institutions and professions.

Main Methods:

• Describing a collaborative partnership between post-secondary institutions and health authorities.
• Focusing on high-priority specialized nursing areas (e.g., ICU, ED).
• Leveraging institutional strengths and resources.

Main Results:

• A proactive connection between healthcare and education was established.
• The partnership addresses the need to prepare and retain nurses in specialized roles.
• The model demonstrates potential for broader implementation.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative partnerships are effective for addressing specialized nursing needs.
• This model can be adapted to meet educational and personnel resourcing requirements.
• The approach has potential applicability to other healthcare professions.