It started as a weekly Zoom call in the midst of a pandemic. Now it’s a growing community.
Information is a critical commodity in these rapidly changing times. With a mission to facilitate research and collaboration, OCN began weekly virtual Friday Huddles in 2020. This community enables communication and connection for our members.
Educators, clinicians, policymakers, and stakeholders across Oregon gather regularly to discuss and share information, data, and strategies to navigate the nursing workforce. Some of our recurring themes in 2022 were:
Workforce
As facilities around Oregon continued to address workforce recruitment and retention needs, the topics of nurses endorsing into the state, travel nurses, residency programs and retention measures were frequently discussed.
OSBN
Partners at the Oregon State Board of Nursing attended regularly to provide updates to Huddlers on proposed rule changes, explain licensing process changes, and answer questions about the Nurse Practice Act.
Education
Representatives from schools across Oregon used the Huddle to discuss faculty shortages, faculty pay issues, simulation technology and pathways into nursing programs.
Shortages
Staff shortages, from nurses to auxiliary positions, were a constant topic of conversation, as were the expiration of emergency authorizations, multi-state licensure, travel nurses and recruitment measures.
Students
The availability of off-campus clinical experiences, use of on-campus clinical experiences, vaccination requirements and new nurse intern licenses were frequent subjects of conversation.
Legislation
Legislative topics, including HB4003, with its creation of the nurse intern license and mandate to study nursing workforce shortage issues, were discussed in depth.