Community Based Job Training Grant

Quarterly Progress Report

7-1-07-9-30-07

Section I: General Grant Information:

Grant Identification:
1. Community Based Job Training Grant #CB15210-06-60
  Jeanette S. Matrone RN, PhD, CNAA, BC
  Program Manager
  Community College of Rhode Island
  1762 Louisquisset Pike
  Lincoln, RI 02865
Summary of General Grant Activities
1. This quarter, the Summer Nursing Admissions (SNAP) students finished their first semester. Of the original 97 students, 17 failed (17.5%) the first semester. These students are being offered special services in order for them to remediate and progress. The failure rate is less than the previous rate of 20%, however it is based on a smaller number of students in the regular program (300).
2. The CNE-CCRI program enrolled an additional 25 students which are distributed throughout all campuses dependent on the vacant seats. Changes have been made in the schedule of classes to accommodate better learning opportunities, specifically classes will be conducted in smaller segments of time. In the summer of 2008, medical nursing will be taught in the first 10 weeks, and psychiatric mental health in the last 5 weeks.
3. The support systems for grant students include peer tutors, supplemental instruction, and academic assistance through the student success centers. The total number of hours spent in supplemental instruction so far, from the beginning of the grant period is 2,373 and the total number of class attendees for supplemental instruction is 337. The average GPA of those who received supplemental instruction is 2.6 as opposed to the average of 2.54 of those who did not receive help. Some students need non academic support, and these students are referred elsewhere in the CCRI system. There have been 132 referrals of this sort since the beginning of the grant period.
4. We are monitoring the number of students who complete the programs after 3 years. However we found that 354 completed programs after only 2 years in the 2005-6 academic year, and in 2006-7 this number rose to 365, (N=14, 3.95%) The support systems are working.
Number of Students on the Wait List
1. This total actually stayed essentially unchanged this quarter based on the timing of the enrollment process (896 versus 897).
Hospital Association of Rhode Island (HARI) Activities
1. The HARI Nurse Externship Program Activity Report, 8th quarter shows an enrollment of 1 extern, and 5 externs who are active in the program.
Capacity-Building Activities
1. We have been expanding the number of clinical sites, and our goal is 28 by the end of year 3. We have 4 more to go. This quarter we gained 2 of these, totaling 24.

We are still targeting a 10% increase in enrollment of secondary school students and first year college students who will enroll in the allied health science, rehabilitation and nursing programs. We are focusing on the Met School in Newport because of our previous success with this school, but we are continuing to recruit students in the under-enrolled programs of Respiratory Therapy, Clinical Laboratory Technician, and Physical Therapy Assistant.

Success on Credentialing Exams
1. Since the beginning of the grant period there has been a greater success rate at passing the credentialing exams in the LPN program (7% improvement), the Physical Therapy Assistant (9% improvement), Respiratory Therapy (7% improvement), and radiology (3% improvement). Previously reported, in nursing (RN) our target for the second project year is 83%. There were 482 students tested & 397 students who passed while 85 failed. The average NCLEX score is 82.4%.
Faculty Development
1. The grant manager appointed members to a subcommittee of the Advisory council to develop and educational summit for the professional development of faculty and other stakeholders interested in the faculty shortage. The planning committee is considering an all day educational summit to address the faculty shortage issues and solutions, as well as strategies to address clinical teaching and learning. Although the program is mainly focused on nursing, there will be an opportunity for others to attend. The program will tentatively be offered in June.
Summary
1. The Health Futures grant is achieving most of the outcomes. We need to continue to monitor the student achievements, and the capacity markers. In the summer of 2008 we will have both the SNAP and the CNE cohorts taking classes and clinical experiences. This increased activity is bound to stress the faculty. We need more resources to facilitate the increased enrollment. We are able to hire more faculty members, but we need to find qualified individuals, especially in nursing.