GROW Nurses (Growing and Raising Our Workforce), a Grant county-based recruitment program that prepares underrepresented populations to work in the nursing field, received a $1,950 mini-grant from the Northeast Indiana Area Health Education Center (NEI-AHEC) in spring of 2017. GROW Nurses used the mini-grant to fund value-added programming.
The grant was part of NEI-AHEC’s Mini-Grant Program, which awarded a total of approximately $12,000 in state funding to federally tax-exempt programs located within one of 17 specified Indiana counties. All awarded programs needed to further the mission of NEI-AHEC, which is to “inspire, train, recruit, and retain a diverse and broad range of health professionals to practice in rural and medically underserved communities.”
GROW Nurses— a program developed by partners from Indiana Wesleyan University, Ivy Tech Community College and Marion Regional Career Center (MRCC)— utilized the mini-grant to fund four specific initiatives:
- CNA Panel Discussion- Two panel discussions took place on March 3, which allowed current students to learn from and interact with MRCC alumni who are serving in healthcare in Grant County.
- CNA Examinations- In order to become certified nursing assistants in the state of Indiana, 23 students participated in clinical and written examinations on May 8-12.
- Basic Tuberculosis Training- IWU Clinical Instructor Kara Horner, BSN, and Anderson University Professor of Nursing Kari Miller, MSN, taught a basic tuberculosis training class for Ivy Tech Nursing students on March 1. All 17 attendees became certified by the American Red Cross.
- Equipment- New blood pressure cuffs and a knee immobilizer were purchased for the Health Careers Lab at MRCC, allowing students the continued use of updated, operational equipment.
“Funding from the NEI-AHEC provides opportunities to make a world-changing difference in the lives of health career students at MRCC,” said Ruth Eby, associate dean of non-residential nursing at IWU. “GROW Nurses supports student success by organizing opportunities that complement their classroom experience. These experiences and support provide students with a jump-start into their health career.”