Nursing Education, Professional Development and Outreach
Valley Children's strives to be at the forefront of nursing education and professional development, and nurses throughout the organization participate in and lead educational initiatives throughout the Central Valley. Through scholarly activities including research, presentations and publications, our nurses contribute to the development of new knowledge and the advancement of clinical practice for the nursing profession.
We offer a wide variety of nursing outreach, opportunities for new nursing graduates, nursing student programs, and nursing job shadowing.
Focus on Academic Advancement and Achievement
Valley Children’s nursing culture focuses on academic advancement and achievement of national certification, which has resulted in a professional nursing staff that is >71% BSN and >46% nationally certified.
Nursing Education Scholarship Award
The Nursing Education Scholarship Award is available to assist in the academic preparation of undergraduate/graduate nursing students who are employees of Valley Children's Healthcare. The scholarship is awarded twice a year. Many staff, both unlicensed and licensed, have taken advantage of this benefit to help achieve their educational career goal.
Applicants must meet eligibility requirements and submit supportive documentation to the Scholarship Committee for consideration prior to the application deadline. The Scholarship Committee performs an objective blinded review of each submission. A cumulative score is determined and then the applicants are ranked. The number of awards is determined based on available funds in the Nursing Education Scholarship Fund.
Clinical Advancement Program
The Valley Children’s Healthcare Clinical Advancement Program supports the professional development and recognition of nurses providing care to patients and families. Nurses collaborate with their nursing leaders in aligning goals and activities to meet their professional and unit/organizational goals. The program includes engagement in the categories of General, Clinical Practice, Professional Development, Nursing Leadership and Professional Practice.
Goals of the Program:
- Create a positive influence on the professional practice of nursing and the work environment
- Effect positive patient care outcomes
- Increase nursing staff retention
- Recognize excellence
Guiding Principles:
- Support clinical excellence based on evidence-based practice and quality outcomes
- Contribute to the professional practice of nursing
- Link individual goals to department and organizational priorities
- Nursing professionals are accountable for their own practice and development
- Promote succession planning
- Develop nursing leadership
Nursing Scholarly Activities
Nursing research at Valley Children's Healthcare provides a foundation for nursing practice to study and explore existing knowledge and contribute new knowledge to patient care and the professional practice of nursing. Interprofessional collaboration contributes to advancing research literacy and promoting a spirit of inquiry. The Interprofessional Research Council promotes and supports the understanding and effective use of research and scholarly activity to enhance the provision of evidence-based care.
