Throughout the country, very few examples of nursing institutes, and specifically, comprehensive, regional efforts exist. The Nursing Institute will pilot a national model for a phased, regional, scientific approach to developing sound solutions to the current nursing crisis and preventing future crises.

Many Federal Agencies will benefit from the research and development conducted at the Nursing Institute. These agencies include the Department of Defense, the Veterans’ Department, the Commerce Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Health Research and Quality and the National Institutes of Health. The Nursing Institute addresses the needs of innovative nursing recruitment, practice, retention, research and evaluation. The Nursing Institute is an appropriate demonstration project for the following reasons:

Quality Health Care

The Nursing Institute will promote quality healthcare by providing a regional infrastructure focused on the supply of well prepared nurses (RNs) actively engaged as committed partners in healthcare delivery. The RN workforce, in adequate numbers at all preparation levels, is key to addressing the full spectrum of healthcare in a community.

Economic Development

The Nursing Institute will be an economic development vehicle by establishing an environment that encourages the recruitment of new companies to the its service area and retaining existing companies that value high-quality nursing care.

Nursing Test Bed

The Nursing Institute will serve as a test bed where advances and improvements in nursing can be analyzed, described and disseminated. A large, collaborative model with partnerships in 16 Ohio counties, the Nursing Institute is an ideal place to test and research nursing recruitment, retention and practice breakthroughs.

Cost Effective

The Nursing Institute will operate in the day-to-day environment of health care cost containment. As such, the Nursing Institute will function with continuing attention to accomplishing its objectives in a cost-effective manner, and will identify and disseminate best practices. The presence of adequate numbers and types of nurses has already been scientifically supported as promoting patient safety and health, both important components of cost-effective health care (References available upon request).

Cost Shared

The Nursing Institute is seeking funding from many sources, making the project a genuine private/public partnership. Project funding sources include higher education institutions, hospitals, private donors, foundations, and state and federal programs.