Project Narrative

ETA Community Based Job Training Initiative Community College of Southern Nevada1
Project Narrative
Statement of Need
Southern Nevada, Clark County (Las Vegas) has experienced phenomenal population growth
of 85% over the last ten years.1 Nevada is last in the percentage of high school diplomas and
46th in the proportion of bachelor degrees or higher.2 The large in-migration of residents is not
increasing the educational attainment level of residents: 51% of new residents have less than a
college degree and the largest number of young in-migrants, ages 22-29 has less than a high
school education.3 This has created tremendous pressure on the infrastructure and workforce
needs of the region, particularly the healthcare system.
Industry of Focus: Nursing is the pivotal health care profession, highly valued for its
specialized knowledge, skill and caring in improving the health status of the public and ensuring
safe, effective, quality care.4 The demand for nurses in Las Vegas, Clark County and Nevada is
currently outstripping the supply. Nevada has the worst nurse to population ratio in the nation at
520 Registered Nurses per 100,000, ranks 42nd in the number of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN)
employed and ranks 49th among the states in its ratio of Nursing Assistants to population.5 Clark
County is also a Health Professional Shortage Area and a Medically Underserved Area/
Medically Underserved Population.6 The increase in hospital beds in the area is pushing the
demand for Nurses even higher. The Nevada Cancer Institute and the Rawson-Neal Psychiatric
facility opened in Las Vegas in 2005; five new hospitals are slated to open in 2006 and 2007; one
new hospital opened in rural Clark County-Mesquite in 2004, and another rural hospital in
1
U.S. Census 2000
2
Ibid
3
Las Vegas Perspective 2005, Nevada Development Authority
4
Nursing’s Agenda For the Future, 2002 American Nurses Association
5
State Health Work Profiles Highlights Nevada, Health Resources & Services Administration
6
Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Primary Care

Pahrump in neighboring Nye County opened in 2006. These facilities add over 700 beds with
another 700 new beds to be added through expansion of fifteen facilities from 2005 to 2007.7
More than 75% of RNs believe the nursing shortage presents a major problem for the quality
of their work life and the quality of patient care8 and over 90% see it as a catalyst for increasing
stress, lowering patient care quality, and causing nurses to leave the profession.9 There are
currently over 400 LPN, RN and CNA openings in hospitals in Las Vegas.10 The 2003 Nursing
Workforce Supply and Demand in Nevada report from the High Sierra Area Health Education
Center (AHEC) estimates a need for an additional 4,707 Registered Nurses, 691 Licensed
Practical Nurses, and 2,747 Nursing Assistants from 2002-2010.
Enrollment of RN students in the three public Schools of Nursing in Las Vegas is at 1,049.
CCSN trains the most RNs of any of these institutions: 34% of all the State RN programs, and
52% of the three southern Nevada public Schools of Nursing students.11 CCSN graduated 223
RNs in 2005-2006, far below the capacity needed to produce 837 new Nurses needed annually.12
The Practical Nursing student enrollment is significantly lower with only 29 new students
accepted annually and CCSN provides the only LPN training program in southern Nevada.
CCSN enrolled over 550 Nursing Assistant students in the last year.
CCSN has experienced unprecedented student population growth, more than doubling to
36,000 students in ten years, creating major staff, faculty, space and equipment capacity
constraints. CCSN has taken a number of steps to increase enrollment to meet the healthcare
workforce demand. A new 85,400 square foot Health Sciences building opened in Fall 2005
7
Nevada Healthcare Growth, www.nvnurses.com/healthcare_growth.php
8
Buerhaus, Peter, Nursing Economic$, March-April2005
9
Nursing’s Agenda for theFuture 2002, American Nurses Association
10
Survey of job openings on hospitalwebsites by CCSN Health Sciences staff
11
2005 Survey of Registered Nurses in Nevada, Medical Education Council of Nevada, University of Nevada School of
Medicine
12
Nevada Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation, Occupational Projections 2002-2012

with capital funds available only for buildings from the Nevada State Legislature, expanded
Nursing program capacity from three to eight labs including three simulation labs, faculty offices
from 28 to 47, and added eight classrooms, four lecture halls and a computer classroom. New
teaching methodologies including distance learning and part-time, weekend and evening classes
have also enabled increased enrollment. CCSN exceeded the unfunded mandate of AB378
enacted by the State Legislature to double RN student enrollment from 2002 to 2005. To do this
CCSN had to “carve out” funding from other instructional areas to expand equipment and
faculty. The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) recently proposed a new mandate to
double Nursing enrollment by 2012 and it certainly is needed. However, the Schools of Nursing
have collectively lobbied the Board of Regents that we will be unable to meet this mandate
without significant increased funding for faculty, faculty salaries, salary equity for existing
faculty, space, and equipment.
Training Capacity Constraints: In Fall 2004 and Spring 2005, of the 153 students qualified for
the limited entry Practical Nursing (one-year Certificate degree) program, only 29 students were
accepted; of the 284 qualified students for the RN Associate Degree program, only 110 were
accepted. The doors were closed to these students because there was a critical shortage of
qualified faculty, clinical sites, and classroom space.
Clinical Sites: There are nine Schools of Nursing competing for clinical rotation in southern
Nevada: three State public Schools of Nursing, one out-of-state school, and five proprietary
schools. This has created a serious bidding war for limited clinical rotation sites due to the State
regulated eight-to-one ratio of students to faculty, which requires large numbers of faculty for
our 532 RN and 29 LPN students. Specialty practices, such as pediatrics may require a nursing
instructor/preceptor to supervise only six students.

Faculty Shortage: More than a third (38.8%) of Nursing schools nationwide pointed to faculty
shortages as the major reason for not accepting all qualified applicants.13 Currently in Las Vegas
there are only 360 Nurse Practitioners with Master’s degrees in Nursing (MSN)14 severely
limiting the pool for faculty recruitment. Recruitment of faculty is still very difficult as MSN’s
can earn $80,697 working at a hospital emergency department15 compared to the $58,000
average salary for a CCSN professor. The Nevada Board of Nurses recently eased the
requirements for qualifications of community college Nursing faculty. The Board can waive the
Master’s requirements for 25% of faculty positions in associate degree and licensed practical
nurse programs.
Physical Space and Facilities: Even with the opening of the new Health Sciences building, after
doubling Nursing enrollment in the last 3 years, the space capacity for classrooms is maxed out
and additional classrooms are desperately needed to increase enrollment.
Linkages to Key Partners: CCSN has formed the Nursing Education Strategic Initiative
(NESI) consisting of all the key partners required to develop a strong and collaborative plan of
action for increasing nursing enrollment, to provide information on local workforce needs,
incorporate business and demand perspective into issue identification, develop solutions, and
provide commitments of resources to resolve the capacity challenges. The NESI will serve as a
permanent forum to develop evidence-based policy measures to address current and future
capacities in nursing care through grassroots advocacy to educate the nursing community, major
healthcare stakeholders and community leaders about the current demand and needs.
NESI Objectives
13
American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2001 Enrollments and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs
14
Nevada Department of Training & Rehabilitation, Nevada Workforce Informer
15
Recommendations of the AFT(American Federation of Teachers) NurseFaculty Shortage Task Force

1. Develop actions and strategies relevant to staff, space, scholarship, and recruitment to
enable the CCSN School of Nursing to expand capacity for future nursing enrollment,
increase qualified faculty, and improve the quality of nursing education and practice.
2. Provide guidance to CCSN School of Nursing to determine current and projected supply
and demand for Nurses, to target resources to better meet the workforce demand.
3. Develop taskforces to review and develop curriculum, particularly for the clinical
simulation, preparing pre-nursing students for the realities of the profession, and
professional development for new and practicing nurses to reduce nursing attrition.
4. Develop new opportunities to improve the public image of nursing and nursing education.
5. Act as a major group force to educate and lobby the State legislature for increased
funding for nursing education programs.
6. Develop a listserv for NISE electronic mail enhanced communication.
Each of the members of NESI will contribute overall to planning, development of strategies,
and commitment of resources to increase the number of nursing professionals in Southern
Nevada. Based on their expertise each member will have specific commitments in areas such as
recruitment of nursing students and nursing faculty, curriculum and professional development,
contribution of space and faculty, and promoting Nursing profession awareness and funding.
Member commitments are as follows, supported by letters of commitment.
Southern Nevada Medical Industry Coalition (SNMIC) is a unique alliance of five sectors of
the area’s economy: healthcare professionals; medical institutions; higher education; local and
State Governments; economic development professionals; and local Chambers of Commerce. It
will serve as the lobbying and economic development representative for the project.

The Nevada Hospital Association (NHA) is a not-for-profit, statewide, professional association
representing the vast majority of Nevada's hospitals. They will assist NESI and CCSN providing
primary resources for health care advocacy, funding, and public awareness efforts, and assist
directly with the project’s nursing student recruitment, nursing faculty recruitment and
curriculum development and program implementation to increase CCSN nurse retention.
Recruiting Nevada is a Las Vegas based Recruitment Media Company to assist employers with
their recruitment needs. They will provide faculty recruitment expertise and services to include
faculty job postings on their network of employment websites.
Clark County School District will provide access to its CNA students, guidance counselors and
high school and middle school students for recruitment activities to ensure the continuum of
education from high school to community college.
Nevada Board of Nursing will assist NESI with expertise in clinical simulation development,
MSN leads for faculty recruitment, as well as lobbying for increased State funding.
Hospitals: Three Hospital Systems, Valley, HCA and St. Rose serve the southern Nevada area.
Hospitals committed to NESI include Valley Hospital Medical Center, OTHER HOSPITALS?
Valley Hospital and St. Rose Hospitals provide significant scholarships for RN students. The
hospitals will participate in development of the alternative simulation clinical experience,
developing new clinical rotation schedules and evaluating the results of the simulation
alternative, as well as initiatives for increasing Nurse faculty.
Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board will provide access to its resources for direct
training, basic skills and supportive services and lend its expertise and connections for
workforce data and reporting.

CCSN Adult Basic Education (ABE) will develop the customized curriculum for CNA and
Nursing basic education and ESL Instruction/Coaching and will recruit the appropriate
instructor. ABE program participation will develop a collaboration to promote a continuum of
education from Adult Education to postsecondary.
Partnership Management: The NESI partnership has already helped us to develop our planning
for the project and will remain as a permanent vehicle to lead us through the implementation of
industry-driven strategies, provide commitment of resources and expertise to achieve higher
levels of impact on the nursing shortage. The NESI partnership will be managed by Jan Kramer,
Director of Nursing with the assistance of project staff. A minimum of quarterly meetings will
be held with specific agenda items to gather the input and commitment of resources necessary.
Subcommittees will be developed to plan and implement the activities including marketing and
recruitment of students; faculty recruitment; simulation curriculum development and
implementation; and retention activities.
Training and Capacity Building Plan
Clinical Site Shortage Strategies: CCSN will begin the plan to reduce the clinical site shortage
in the first year by developing arrangements with clinical sites for the substitution of a portion of
the clinical onsite rotation with simulation learning. Through NESI, the hospitals have agreed to
replace 10% to 20% of clinical rotation with clinical simulation time. CCSN was one of only
eight sites selected to participate in the nationwide National League for Nursing Laerdal
Simulation Study along with such prestigious Universities as Case Western Reserve, Texas Tech
University and the Washington School of Nursing to develop and test models for nursing faculty
to use simulation in innovative ways to enhance student learning.16 Our participation enabled us
to develop a research-based teaching-leaning framework to develop nursing simulations that
16
National League of Nursing, Laerdal Simulation Study

promote realistic experience and strong learning outcomes. Results of the study revealed that
groups that used the patient simulator found the experience provided more diverse ways of
learning, had significantly higher level of satisfaction with their instructional method, and felt
significantly more self-confident in their ability to care for a postoperative client.
Simulation is a technique to replace or amplify real patient experiences with guided
experiences that replicate substantial aspects of patient practice in a fully interactive, problem
based and work-based learning approach.17 The electronic mannequin simulators such as
SimMan© breathe spontaneously, have palpable pulses, heart and lung sounds, and respond
physiologically to the administration of drugs and practice scenarios. They can be programmed
to exhibit almost any physiological symptoms of an acute care patient and complex medical
scenarios and signs of normal and dysfunctional symptoms and trauma situations with
appropriate voice patient reactions.18 These simulators can effectively immerse students in
almost any situation they might encounter in the clinical setting and many that they would rarely
encounter, enabling students to learn, practice and repeat procedures as often as necessary to
correct mistakes, fine-tune skills and optimize clinical outcomes without compromising the
safety of real patients. 19 This degree of flexibility is ethically not possible for students in the
clinical setting. David Gaba, operations director of Harvard’s Center for Medical Simulation,
predicts that “It’s only a matter of time before simulation training is first encouraged by
accrediting organizations and ultimately required by accrediting organizations.”
CCSN has three simulation labs using Laerdal SimMan, SimBaby, Vital Signs Annie, and a
birthing simulator for its required nursing labs. Each lab has a private simulation room with a
separate observation room where faculty program patient scenarios while the student practices
17
Gaba, DM, TheFuture Vision of Simulation in healthcare. Qual Saf Health Care 2004:13(Supl 1):i2-i10
18
Laerdal SimMan, www.laerdal.com/simman/simman.html
19
Patow, MD, MPH, Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare, March/April2005, www.psqh.com/marapr05/simulation.html

interventions. The simulations are captured on live videotape so that all students in the class can
observe and participate in structured debriefing after each teaching session to review, discuss and
learn from what transpired. That kind of in-depth review is unrealistic, if not impossible, in
hospital clinical settings which are so fast-paced.
Implementation Strategy: To expand the availability of clinical practicum space, simulation
will be used as a substitute for 10% to 20% of the clinical rotation. The NESI group will assist
CCSN to negotiate with clinical sites rates of substitution at each level and for CCSN to retain
those time slots to enable increasing nursing student capacity. Other activities will include
identifying sites such as ambulatory care centers, health fairs and clinics for fundamentals
experience. In this way students learn that nursing does not just happen in hospitals.
Faculty Shortage Strategies: Working together, the faculty shortage can be eased. UNLV has a
new emphasis on increasing slots for the graduate Nursing Program which will open the door for
more locally prepared Master’s of Nursing, and Nursing Educators for faculty recruitment.
Implementation Strategy: New communities of potential faculty will be developed for
recruitment including hospitals loaning MSN prepared nurses as part-time faculty, recruiting
practicing nurses for part-time overload teaching, accessing lists of retired and near retirement
nurses to recruit for teaching, contacting large Nurse Practitioner employers like HMO clinics for
part-time faculty, as well as making early contact with UNLV MSN students to promote nursing
education as an occupation. Additionally we will concentrate on activities to “grow our own” by
identifying a core of our “best” graduates to promote movement directly to the UNLV MSN
program, developing curriculum and promotion to educate Nursing students early in their careers
about the opportunities for teaching, and creating new programs for the retention of our faculty
including transition training and mentoring.

Physical Space Strategies: We will employ creative scheduling of our labs to more fully utilize
the space that we have to enable increased enrollment, and will rent four modular units to
increase classrooms to accommodate an additional 96 RN and 30 LPN students over the next
three years, and faculty office space for six new faculty. Members of NESI are currently
reviewing their space to locate space on their campuses that we could use for instruction,
possibly negating the need for the modular units in the future. We will also convert the one lab
on the Cheyenne campus to a full simulation lab enabling those students (most classes are
located on the West Charleston campus) to utilize those facilities instead of having to come to
the other campus, and enabling the enrollment of more new students.
Student Recruitment/Direct Training Implementation Strategies: High concentration will be
placed on recruitment of the over 700 CNA students enrolled in high school and CCSN courses
each year to move them into higher levels of training such as Licensed Practical Nurse programs.
Almost all the CNA students are low-income and direct training funds will be provided to
students who wish to advance. Additional recruitment activities will be developed to target
middle and high school students, current hospital support personnel, currently practicing LPNs,
One Stop Career Center consumers, community groups, and career fairs. A CNA exam prep
seminar will also be developed to help these students achieve higher levels of exam pass rates.
Retention Implementation Strategies: Individuals choose nursing and remain in the profession
because of the opportunities for personal and professional growth, supportive work
environments, and compensation commensurate with roles and responsibilities.20 Retention is an
issue for students at the CNA, pre-Nursing and Nursing enrollment levels and also for new
graduates in first time nursing positions. The Nursing Advisor will implement a number of
contacts with students from pre-nursing to graduation, to support and increase student retention
20
Nursing’s Agenda for theFuture 2002, American Nurses Association

and completion. Approximately 99% of the CNA students are low income with their training
paid through contracts with Nevada State Welfare and Nevada Department of Employment,
Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR) Claimant Employment Program (CEP) funds. The high
school students are also low income and many have difficulty paying for their certification exam
and uniforms, effectively negating their employability. Many of these students also have low
basic skills and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) perhaps accounting for the dismal 50%
Certification Exam pass rates. In order to help these students be successful and ensure higher
levels of enrollment in LPN and RN programs we must make efforts to support their needs to
ensure their success including higher levels of ESL and basic skills instruction and coaching.
First Job Experiences of Recent RN Graduates conducted by the UNLV School of Nursing
reveals that 30% of Nurses leave their first position after one year and 57% after two years. The
answer to the nursing shortage will not be accomplished through preparation of new nurses
alone; we must also must direct attention to the high rate of attrition. As educators we have an
obligation to ensuring that our students understand the commitment they are making, early on,
and that the realities of the nursing profession are stressed throughout their training to ensure that
they are well prepared and have the commitment to the profession. A timeline with specific
activities for the Clinical, Faculty, Space, Recruitment and Retention activities is included in the
Appendix.
Direct Training Outcomes, Benefits and Impact
CCSN is an approved School of Nursing by the Nevada Board of Nursing. Its Associate
Degree RN and LPN Certificate of Achievement, qualify as the required graduation from an
approved School of Nursing along with passing the NCLEX licensing examination to be a
licensed Nurse in the State of Nevada; and for Certified Nursing Assistants the CCSN CNA

Certificate qualifies as the successful completion of a state-approved training program required
for eligibility to take the examination and to grant permanent certification.
Outcome CNA
Current/increase
LPN
Current/increase
RN
Current/increase
Data Collection/
Evaluation
Increased
Enrollment
500/30 29/30 532/96 Student Information
System (SIS)
Completion/
Graduation
580/80% 60/90% 223/95% SIS
Licensure/
Certification
50%/70% 80%/90% 86.7%/95% Nevada Board of
Nursing
Entered
Employment
80% 98% 98% Nursing Data
System
Retain
Employment
70% 75% 57%/70% Nursing Data
System
Products CNA Exam Prep
program; ESL
and Basic Skills
Curriculum
Retention,
Professional
Development
Curriculum
Retention,
Professional
Development
Curriculum
Master’s
Advancement
program
Records of student
attendance in
workshops, club
activities,
enrollment in
Master’s program
Clinical Site Capacity Impact: Substitution of 10% clinical simulation and 20% in Years 2 and
3 will increase the number of students we can accept by 96 RN and 30 LPN students.
Faculty Shortage Strategy Impact: Nursing Faculty will increase by six in three years, and a
new faculty transition training and mentoring program will be developed.
Physical Space Strategy Impact: Modular units will increase classroom space but it is
expected that NESI members currently investigating space, will find additional classroom space.
Program Management: The project will be managed cooperatively between CCSN and NESI.
Hyla Winters, Dean of Health Sciences will have overall responsibility for the outcomes of the
project, ensuring that the resources and activities are developed to reach the project objectives.

She will devote a minimum of 10% time to the project, provided as leveraged resources. Hyla
Winters obtained a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration from Texas Women’s
University and a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Record Administration from the University of
Illinois. She is currently working on her Doctoral degree in Higher Education Leadership at
UNLV. She has served as a Professor and Chair of Health Information Technology, and the
Associate Dean of Health Sciences for the past thirteen years at CCSN, before ascending to the
Dean of Health Sciences in July of 2006.
She will be assisted by Jan Kramer, Director of Nursing who will devote 25% time to
directly manage the program, supervise project staff, work with NESI for recruitment of
financial and other resources and involving them in all stages of program development including
the development of the clinical simulation programs, faculty recruitment and development,
Nurse recruitment and retention programs. She will review curriculum being developed to ensure
that it is comprehensive and meeting the educational objectives. Jan Kramer has a Master of
Science in Nursing, Education Track from the University of Akron, Ohio, and a Bachelor of
Science in Nursing, cum laude from Ursiline College in Ohio. She is currently a Doctoral
Candidate in Higher Education Administration from Indiana State University with an anticipated
graduation date of December, 2006. She joined CCSN as Director of Nursing in February 2006
coming from Indiana where she served Indiana Vocational Technical College, Ivy Tech State
College, Community College of Indiana and Ivy Tech Community College in roles as varied as
faculty, program chair of Nursing programs, and Statewide Nursing Administrator.
Staffing will include two Advisor/Recruiters who will spend 100% of time on the project.
The Advisor/Recruiter will conduct all recruitment activities, develop procedures and implement
Nursing orientations, provide intrusive counseling to pre-Nursing and Nursing students, assess

and arrange basic skills preparation and tutoring, and provide regular information sessions on
Nursing careers to ensure students have the support to ensure a higher level of entry and
retention into LPN and RN programs. Qualifications for the Advisor/Recruiter will be a
minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, with recruitment, promotion and administrative
experience in a healthcare setting or a College School of Nursing.
A Faculty Recruiter will spend 100% time to develop all the activities, promotional materials,
and conduct presentations and recruitment with selected groups to recruit the required faculty
and increase the number of students who choose Nursing Education as a career. The Faculty
Recruiter will develop transition training and mentorship programs to ensure new faculty hired
will be welcomed and able to immerse into the CCSN culture as quickly and smoothly as
possible, ensuring higher rates of employee satisfaction and retention. The Faculty Recruiter
qualifications include a minimum of a Nursing Bachelor’s degree with experience as College
teaching faculty, and experience in recruitment and promotion highly preferable.
The full-time Assistant Lab Manager will assist with the development of the equipment,
curriculum, and scenario development for the Clinical Simulation practicum experiences. This
position will require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree preferably in Nursing, with experience in
simulation equipment, the functions, purchase and maintenance of Nursing lab equipment. The
part-time ESL instructor will be selected from the College’s Adult Basic Education instructors
who are experts in basic skills and ESL instruction with years of experience.
Ruth Politi, currently a Nursing Professor for Touro College, and former faculty and
Coordinator of the Laerdal Simulation Study at CCSN will act as the consultant for the clinical
practicum simulation alternative curriculum and faculty training. She has a Master’s of Nursing
from UNLV and many years of Clinical Research and Nursing instruction.

Organization Capacity: Founded in 1971, the Community College of Southern Nevada (CCSN)
is the fastest growing and 3rd largest single college, multi-campus community college in the
nation. Student enrollment at CCSN has increased 107% since 1994 to over 36,000 students in
Fall 2006, keeping pace with the fastest growing city in the United States. Every career and
technical education program has a Joint Technical Skills Committee composed of business &
industry, secondary education and community college representatives that provide strong
strategic partnerships to advise on curriculum, equipment, and strategies to meet career demand.
CCSN is an approved School of Nursing by the Nevada Board of Nursing, accredited by the
National League of Nursing Accreditation Commission and provides Registered Nurse Associate
degrees, Licensed Practical Nurse Certificates of Achievement and Certified Nursing Assistant
certificates which are required by the Board of Nursing for licensure and certification. Our
Nursing students have a high rate of success with 86.78% first time test takers achieving
certification or licensure and over 90% achieving licensure on taking the test again. Virtually
100% are placed in jobs within six months of program completion. For years the School of
Nursing Advisory Board has involved the representatives from all the clinical sites, directors of
Nursing, and the State Board of Nursing in curriculum development, student and faculty
recruitment. Its School of Nursing has doubled its RN enrollment over the past three years
through innovative practices to impact the nursing shortage. Currently 532 RN students are
registered i and over 220 Nurses graduated in 2005-2006, the most of any program in the state.
The Office of Resource Development provides oversight for programmatic compliance of
grant programs. The College Grants & Contracts Manager maintains account management for
all grant funds and conducts financial oversight and drawdown of funds. A separate account is
setup for the project to maintain its individual budget and financial information and the

authorized budget is the basis for all expenditures. Accounting procedures are in conformance
with federal, state, and Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) regulations and principles.
CCSN has solid experience with the management of grants including the Carl D. Perkins
Vocational and Technical Act, Tech Prep, and Adult Basic Education formula funds programs,
DOL High Growth Job Training Initiative, U.S. Department of Education TRIO and CCAMPIS
and National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education grants.
The College Office of Institutional Research & Planning will collect required project data
from the College Student Information System (SIS) through mid semester, end of semester and
yearly data collection with certification and licensure pass rates obtained from the Nevada Board
of Nursing. The Nursing program has a highly developed database system that will be upgraded
in this project, to record all student information from enrollment, grades, graduation, licensure
and certification, and job placement and retention. The project will use all data to assess and
make program improvements. Nursing staff conduct the follow-up necessary to collect data for
the Common Measures.
Plan for Sustainability: The supplies, travel and equipment budgeted for the CGJT grant are
one time expenses for the development of systems, not operating or ongoing support. State
operating and staff funding is based on the previous biennium FTE enrollment (the State
Legislature meets only once every two years). With the increase in FTE we will receive
additional State funding by 2009 enabling us to continue the positions and achieve self-
sufficiency of the project capacity building and training activities. The NESI forum will
continue as a permanent vehicle to function as the advisory and advocacy board for the CCSN
School of Nursing to enable us to continue the strong partnerships and resources developed
under the grant. We expect that as the program and activities prove the benefit to the hospitals

and healthcare organizations we will realize additional commitments, due to the increased
production of nurses, easing their need for outside recruitment. The lessons learned from the
project will serve us well with the leadership of NESI to guide our future training and capacity
building development.
The curriculum for the basic skills and customized ESL will be incorporated into the program
and continue to be carried out through the Adult Basic Education program. The other curriculum
for student recruitment, retention, faculty transition and first year Nurse retention will become
part of the Nursing program and carried out through the Advisor positions supported by
increased FTE State funding. The capital plan for Health Sciences from 2004 to 2010 included
the new Health Sciences building that was completed in Fall 2005 with plans for a Phase II
expansion which is expected to be approved by the Board of Regents and the Legislature in 2009
for opening in 2010, which will relieve some of our space capacity constraints.
Nursing faculty will be offered opportunities to present at national Nursing conferences to
share our models and materials developed for faculty recruitment, curriculum, and training
design for broad dissemination and replication by other community colleges. CCSN has a new
policy to pay full reimbursement for any faculty presenting at conferences which will enable us
to increase our regional and national participation in forums where we can share our outcomes
and receive additional professional development after the grant ends. CCSN will also participate
in Workforce3One to gain information from other workforce training programs, learn new
strategies that we can incorporate into our program, and to share our practices and models for
broad dissemination.
Integrating the Project into Regional Economic Development Strategies: The Nevada
Development Authority (NDA), the statewide economic development entity, published the Las

Vegas Region Comprehensive Labor Report which recommended the formation of a Medical
Industry Coalition to act as the economic development arm for the healthcare workforce, and
develop strategies and new partnerships to help the economically vital medical and healthcare
industry. Its involvement in NESI will ensure the alignment of our educational strategies to the
healthcare industry economic development activities, connecting us more closely to economic
development and legislative efforts, assist with the recruitment of nursing students through its
website and Recruitment subcommittee, and lobbying efforts for Nursing education. CCSN has
served on the Southern Nevada Medical Industry Coalition since its inception with the President
of CCSN, Dr. Richard Carpenter, serving on the SNMIC Board and Dean of Health Sciences
Hyla Winters on the Education Committee. Director of Nursing, Jan Kramer serves on the
Recruitment Committee and Sue Folds, Workforce Specialist, CCSN Workforce and Economic
Development Division serves on the Government Committee. Their direct involvement on the
SNMIC will enable a strong collaboration and implementation of activities to strengthen the
economic development of the healthcare industry.
The CCSN School of Nursing and NESI will have a broad impact on serving the economic
needs of the healthcare profession, where total operating expenses at Nevada’s 29 general
medical and surgical hospitals was $2.736 billion and total operating revenue was $2.796 billion
with over $378.7 million in construction and other capital improvements in 2004.21 CCSN’s
ability to provide Nurses and other allied health professionals will be critical to the economic
development of this sector with Nevada hospital employment projected to increase by over
11,000 employees from 2002 to 2012.
21
Packham, J and T Harris. 2005. The Contribution of Hospitals to the Nevada Economy, University Center for Economic
Development, University of Nevada, Reno.

Integrating Workforce Investment Act Resources: CCSN has a strong relationship with the
Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board (SNWIB) having provided the location for the
One-Stop Center for the first three years. Our Workforce and Economic Development Division
Dean and the President of CCSN serve as members on the SNWIB Board of Directors, and
CCSN is the WIA postsecondary education required partner in the One Stop Career System.
The SNWIB has committed to participation in NESI and connecting us to the resources of the
One Stop service providers for WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker Services, providing
assistance with recruitment, identifying, assessing and referring candidates for training, training
funds and wraparound supportive services for qualified individuals, placing workers in jobs and
assist with the collection and reporting of data to the Common Measures. CCSN is an approved
State training provider and provides training to over 200 WIA consumers each year.
While the accounts do not currently exist, the SNWIB has committed to researching the
Career Advancement Accounts to potentially pilot the provision of these funds for advancing
incumbent CNAs and other health organization employees through enrollment in our LPN
program, and to assist current LPN incumbent workers to advance to RN status through our LPN
to RN Bridge program. CCSN and NESI will work with the local employers to secure the
employer training funding for the Career Advancement Accounts.

Project Narrative

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Project Narrative