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Quick Facts
Retention & Recruitment Funded Projects
Projects Awarded in the Inaugural Year - 2008
Funding Total = $ 114,714

The Center recognizes and thanks Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Florida Incorporated for its contribution matching FCN's dedicated funding level thus allowing more projects to be selected.

First Coast Nurse Leaders Consortium - Jacksonville, FL
Project Title: First Coast RN Residency Partnership
Brief Description: The purpose is to develop a Registered Nurse residency program supporting the retention of the first year novice nurses providing direct patient care. It is a collaborative project between academia and practice. Turnover in the first year for new graduates is reported as high as 55%. Educated as generalists, nurses often find themselves facing specialty practices and high acuity patients. A one-year residency in a practice setting with a University partnership would allow further skill development, professional practice and confidence building. It is anticipated that college credit toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing would be given for the residency.


Florida Public Health Institute - Lantana, FL
Project Title: Strengthening the Public Health Nursing Workforce
Brief Description: In collaboration with public health agencies, nursing schools, and Florida medical and nursing leaders, Florida Public Health Institute (FPHI) has begun developing a broad public health nursing recruitment and retention plan. Components include innovative education, training, and mentoring opportunities; recruiting outreach to promote the value and image of nursing and attract more individuals to the field; and quantification of nursing workforce needs. In this project, FPHI will expand the impact of the annual Public Health Nursing Institute by providing materials and technical assistance so that other organizations may present it to students and professionals throughout the state.


Orlando Regional Healthcare - Orlando, FL
Project Title: Nurse Leader Role in Nurse Satisfaction and Retention: A Pilot Study
Brief Description: The clinical nurse leader (CNL) is a new nursing role developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to address clinical needs of nursing by placing a master's-prepared nurse at the bedside to facilitate and promote safe and effective patient care. With increased new graduates, complexity of patient care, and nurse retirement, the need to have this expertise exists. Orlando Regional Healthcare, in partnership with the University of Central Florida, is implementing this role on selected pilot units. The goal of this project is to evaluate the impact of the CNL role on nurse satisfaction, retention, and financial and patient outcomes.


Pinellas County Health Department - St. Petersburg, FL
Project Title: Retaining Valued Public Health Nurses at the Pinellas County Health Department
Brief Description: This project concentrates on recruitment and retention of valued public health nurse through 1) advertising and marketing, 2) a centralized nursing recruitment/hiring/retention office, and 3) a two tract nurse mentoring program. Pinellas County Health Department (PinCHD) will build and maintain a strong nurse workforce by advertising in areas rich with English/Spanish speaking nurses. PinCHD will build a healthier work environment for new and experienced nurses. An innovative nurse mentoring program will be piloted focusing on mentoring for the new and existing nurses in the agency.


Shands Jacksonville Medical Center - Jacksonville, FL
Project Title: Charge Nurse Leadership Development Program
Brief Description: Our Charge Nurse Leadership Development Program will address four critical skills needed by charge nurses: 1) supervision and delegation, 2) communication, 3) conflict resolution, and 4) team building. Program success will be measured by: a) decreased charge nurse turnover, b) decreased overall RN turnover, c) improved RN job satisfaction, d) improved RN-RN interaction, e) improved teamwork between co-workers, and f) improved patient satisfaction with overall quality of nursing care.


Shands at University of Florida - Gainesville, FL
Project Title: Development of a Toolkit to Promote Nurse Self Care and Self Advocacy
Brief Description: Nurses are challenged to maintain resilience against burn-out and develop successful coping skills in the work environment. This project will develop a comprehensive program to alert nurses to the risks of cumulative stress and provide training for self-care promotion to minimize the negative effects of compassion fatigue. A traumatologist consultant who specializes in helping other front line workers with secondary distress will provide content expertise. We will also pursue inclusion of education on this topic in nursing school curricula, hospital orientation, continuing education programs, and long term as a requirement for re-licensure of nurses in Florida.


Tampa General Hospital - Tampa, FL
Project Title: Promoting a Healthy Work Environment for Medical-Surgical Nurses by Implementing a Campaign to Encourage Work Breaks
Brief Description: The goal of this project is to increase satisfaction of medical-surgical nurses through an awareness campaign addressing a healthy work environment focusing on the importance of taking a break. Funds will be utilized to hire marketing experts to develop a slogan and implement the campaign through posters, fliers and keepsake reminders. Nurses will be immersed with the campaign in an attempt to place value on the importance of breaks. Progress will be monitored through unit based assessments, workforce indicators as well as National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators' Nursing Satisfaction Surveys.


University of Central Florida - Orlando, FL
Project Title: Work Experiences of Newly Licensed RNs in Florida and Retention Strategies
Brief Description: This study aims to contribute to an understanding of the demographic characteristics, perceived work environment, job satisfaction and intent to stay, and occupational commitment and intent to stay of newly licensed registered nurses (RNs), and relationships between these factors. A large random sample of newly licensed RNs in Florida will be surveyed using an instrument developed in 2006 by Kovner and Brewer, supplemented with Occupational Commitment and Intent to Leave Scales developed in 1985 by Blau. Results will build upon a national longitudinal study being conducted by Kovner and Brewer, and will provide Florida-specific information regarding retention of new RNs.


Workforce Central Florida - Lake Mary, FL
Project Title: Are You Man Enough to be a Nurse
Brief Description: A marketing campaign to recruit men into nursing which will be targeted at young men in secondary and post-secondary educational institutions along with men looking to make a career change in Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Sumter counties.

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