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FARGO, N.D. • Essentia Health and the North Dakota State University School of Nursing have joined forces in an Academic Practice Partnership to invest in the future of nursing in the region.
Essentia said partnerships such as these are essential in its journey to achieve Magnet Nursing Designation, the highest credentialing for nursing facilities in the United States.
The main goals of this partnership are to foster innovative educational experiences for nursing students at Essentia; advance nursing knowledge to improve and support the health of individuals and their families through research and evidence-based practice; address nursing workforce needs at Essentia by supporting a smooth transition of graduates into practice; and address shared problems as they emerge.
“We are thrilled to partner with North Dakota State to help ensure the next generation of nurses thrives in today’s health care workforce,” Rhonda Kazik, Essentia’s chief nursing officer, said in a prepared statement. “This partnership will provide nursing students with crucial experience and faculty collaborations, guaranteeing we have the most skilled nursing students working in our facilities after graduation and promising improved patient outcomes.”
“As the significant demand for increasing the nursing workforce at all levels continues, it results in expanding our efforts to serve the region’s health care workforce needs,” said Dr. Carla Gross, associate dean of the NDSU School of Nursing. “We are continuing our current valued partnerships while enhancing our efforts to educate future nurses to meet the region’s needs.”
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To address workforce shortages in health care, Essentia Health has formed similar partnerships with Minnesota State University Moorhead, the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, the University of Mary, Northwood Technical College, the College of St. Scholastica, Lake Superior College and La Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College.
“The connection through Academic Practice Partnerships makes way for collaboration, academic progression, improved practice environments and innovation in both nursing practice and health care as a whole,” said Jamie Astrup, Magnet program director for Essentia’s West Market. “These Academic Practice Partnerships will enhance the education of both students and staff, which will ultimately lead to improved outcomes for patients throughout our community.”
