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Volume 41, Issue 13
April 20, 2004
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April 20, 2004
Easing state
shortage aim of nurse program
Program
designed to acclimate hispanic health assistants
Maria
Khan
Mesa Legend
Foreign-educated nurses in the Valley may find themselves working as dishwashers
and landscapers, but MCC is trying to remedy the problem, said Bertha
Sepulveda, MCC nursing program coordinator.
In a unique three-semester program, foreign-educated nurses can become
registered nurses in the United States. Enfermeras en Escalera, or “Nurses
on a Ladder,” will begin in the fall semester of 2004 at MCC. The
program seeks to identify highly motivated nurses that need an improvement
in their oral, written and reading skills in English, increase their cultural
competency and prepare them to pass the licensing exam through Arizona
State Board of Nursing.
The federal government reports there is a nationwide shortage of nurses
that is roughly near the 400,000 marker. Currently, Arizona’s shortage
is about 6,000.
“There are so many foreign-educated nurses here in the Valley that
are working as dishwashers and landscapers, to me it’s in the community
that drives what services we need,” Sepulveda said.
About five years ago she brought the idea for “Enfermeras en Escalera”
to Myrna Eshelman’s attention. Eshelman serves as the chair of the
Nursing Department. Together they researched the program last summer,
and with the help of the district grant-writing staff, they sent the proposal
to Washington.
The federal government projects that there will be a 21 percent increase
on the existing shortage of nurses by 2006. The program coordinators feel
this program will not only bring more people into the field of nursing
but also help diversify hospital staffs.
Currently, 90 percent of nurses are Caucasian and only 1.6 percent are
Hispanic. Demographically, Phoenix is 34 percent Hispanic and 26 percent
of Arizona citizens speak a language other then English, which is why
there is a need for bilingual and bicultural nurses. Programs like “Enfermeras
en Escalera” will help underemployment, unemployment and poverty
among foreign citizens.
“The goal of this program is to help the Hispanic population raise
their education level; there are people working in unskilled labor jobs
and this will help their families,” Eshelman said. Currently, there
are only four programs like Enfermeras en Escalera in the nation.
The Arizona Community College Association has approved the program.
Currently, there is only room for 20 Hispanic nurses in the first training
session, but if Washington approves the grant, there can possibly be an
increase to 40 multicultural students.
The cost of tuition for the three semesters is approximately $1454.50,
but financial support and educational assistance are available. This program
is developing partnerships with Banner Desert Samaritan, Maricopa Medical
Center, Chandler Regional Medical Center, and Hospice of the Valley. These
medical centers have committed to give total scholarships to five students
as long as there is a commitment to work there when they have completed
the program. For more information, call the program coordinator at (480)
461-7291.
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