CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Chamberlain University, the largest school of nursing in the U.S., announces the launch of a home health specialty initiative with funds from a $1.2 million grant the American Nurses Foundation’s Reimagining Nursing Initiative (RN Initiative) awarded to Chamberlain in May for its Practice Ready. Specialty Focused.TM model. Home health was chosen as the next specialty to address the dire need of staff in continuing care and home health.
Chamberlain has formed a partnership with BrightStar Care, a leading nationwide home care and medical staffing franchise, to develop an online didactic course, Introduction to Continuing Health (ICH), to be used in Chamberlain’s nursing programs. Students who complete and pass the course, which is offered at no additional cost and funded by BrightStar Care, have the option to spend 96 hours of clinical time at BrightStar Care and other home health partners. The BrightStar Care partnership will continue as Chamberlain pilots the course’s use throughout various campuses when it expands.
As the nation faces a nursing shortage, this home health initiative is focused on providing pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing students an overview of home health nursing care. Students will gain knowledge about the specialty based on the fundamentals of a generalist education, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing essentials, and Quality and Safety Education for Nurses competencies.
“Nurses are vital contributors to the health and well-being of our communities and providing nursing students broader access and exposure to home health and other specialties will strengthen the pipeline of prepared nurses in critical need areas that they enjoy,” said Karen Cox, PhD, RN, FACHE, FAAN, president, Chamberlain University. “As we build upon the momentum of the Practice Ready. Specialty Focused.TM model, our clinical partnership with BrightStar Care, a leader in home care, allows us to make a larger impact on home health as the demand continues to grow exponentially.”
BrightStar Care echoes the sentiment that the consumer demand for home care services is on the rise. In fact, BrightStar Care belongs to a home care advocacy coalition that conducted a study to demonstrate this trend. The study found that 73% of adults support receiving care in their homes and are confident in the quality of care they receive in the home. Additionally, BrightStar Care also recently released data from a Medicare Advantage (MA) study it commissioned which demonstrates the crucial role home care has on the healthcare ecosystem.
Chamberlain’s home health initiative aims to demonstrate that nurses will enter their careers more prepared when they can assess the best “fit” for their initial area of practice and receive focused training and clinical experience in that specialty.
To address the home health professional shortage, Chamberlain will increase awareness of the specialty and actively engage students to encourage those who are strong candidates to apply. The home health specialty, which is designed to be taken concurrently with Chamberlain’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program, leads to a badge upon successful completion and assessment of competencies. Those who earn the badge will be eligible to be considered for a concentrated clinical rotation in home health.
“With our focus on home health, we are delighted to work with Chamberlain on this new nursing education program so we can increase the number of qualified home health care nurses who practice evidence-based care,” said Founder and CEO of BrightStar Care, Shelly Sun. “We believe strongly in Chamberlain’s pilot to create a successful pathway for nursing students to learn this specialty and make an impact on the future of nursing. As BrightStar Care leads the home care market with network-wide Joint Commission accreditation and nurse-led care, this partnership was the perfect fit.”
Chamberlain will evaluate the program after the pilot concludes in 2025 and create a publicly available playbook documenting the model. It will be shared with American Nurses Foundation and other nursing schools to enable them to replicate the approach.
“The Reimagining Nursing Initiative provides the solid investments nurses need to transform the education, regulation and practice of nursing,” said American Nurses Foundation Executive Director Kate Judge. “Nurses are a natural catalytic force for accelerating the evolution of our health system because they have an unmatched perspective on prevention, wellness and delivery of healthcare services.”
The Reimagining Nursing Initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Kaiser Permanente National Community Benefit Fund at East Bay Community Foundation, AMN Healthcare, Omnicell, and the Salka Impact Fund.
About Chamberlain University
Chamberlain University is a part of Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE). Chamberlain University’s mission is to educate, empower and embolden diverse healthcare professionals who advance the health of people, families, communities and nations. Chamberlain is comprised of the College of Nursing, which offers a three-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program and flexible post-licensure programs such as the RN to BSN option, Master of Science in Nursing degree program, Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program and graduate certificates, and the College of Health Professions, which offers Master of Public Health, Master of Social Work and Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree programs. Chamberlain University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For the most updated accreditation information, visit Chamberlain.edu/accreditation. To learn more, visit Chamberlain.edu.
About Adtalem Global Education
Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE) is a leading healthcare educator and provider of professional talent to the healthcare industry. With a dedicated focus on driving strong outcomes that increase workforce preparedness, Adtalem empowers a diverse learner population to achieve their goals and make inspiring contributions to their communities. Adtalem is the parent organization of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Chamberlain University, Ross University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, and Walden University. Adtalem was named one of America’s Most Responsible Companies 2021 by Newsweek, and one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity in 2021 and 2022 by Forbes. Follow Adtalem on Twitter @adtalemglobal, LinkedIn or visit Adtalem.com for more information.
About American Nurses Foundation
American Nurses Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of the American Nurses Association (ANA), with the mission to transform the nation’s health through the power of nursing. The Foundation supports research, education, and scholarships, which improve health, wellness, and patient care. For more information visit www.nursingworld.org/foundation.
About BrightStar Care
Founded in 2002, BrightStar Care is a national home care franchise with more than 356 locations nationwide that provides medical and non-medical in-home care services to clients in their homes and supplemental care staff to businesses. BrightStar Care franchise agencies across the country employ over 15,000 caregivers and 5,700 registered nurses who oversee the care and safety of each individual client. BrightStar Care offers custom medical staffing solutions to corporate entities and holds national accounts with government agencies across distinct patient populations providing healthcare staff anywhere care is needed. Female founded and led by CEO Shelly Sun, BrightStar Care is committed to providing a higher standard of care through its clinical nurse-led care model. As a member of Moving Health Home, BrightStar Care also actively advocates to change federal and state policies that prevent the home from being an accredited clinical care site. More than 95% of BrightStar Care agencies are Joint Commission accredited – the gold standard within the health care industry. BrightStar Care has also been the only national home care franchise to consecutively receive The Joint Commission’s Enterprise Champion for Quality award for the past decade.
