CampusRN Job Blog
Nursing Field Sees Some Shortages in Alaska
Friday, April 20, 2012
Specialized areas are where nurses are needed
ANCHORAGE - In the past decade, more than 11,000 health care jobs have been created in Alaska. But one of the most important areas, nursing, is still seeing a shortage.
It’s not entry-level positions where there are gaps, it’s the specialized areas like the operating room.
There are plenty of qualified Alaskans ready to take entry-level positions in nursing.
“The estimated need for nurses in the state is 130 nurses per year, and we are putting out about 200 graduates a year,” said Barbara Berner, director of UAA’s School of Nursing.
For students finishing their undergraduate degree the job market is tight.
“We are also hearing from the institutions that they are no longer requiring as many traveling nurses from out of state to do basic nursing care,” Berner said.
But this does not apply to specialty nurses – especially those working in areas like the operating theater and intensive care unit.
“They take at least two years of previous experience, and we prefer acute care,” said Tammy Kaminski, of Alaska Regional Hospital’s human resources department.
Across the state, including at Alaska Regional Hospital, experienced specialty nurses are in short supply, and it’s necessary to draw people up from the Lower 48, which doesn’t always work out.
“I would say for every 10 nurses we recruit from out of state we are able to keep one,” Kaminski said.
Students who are finishing specialized graduate programs are getting picked up much more quickly.
“People with particular specialties often have jobs before they even leave the graduate program because there is such a need in the state,” said Berner.
posted in: Alaska
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Travel Nursing Alaska
Monday, November 29, 2010
Alaska travel nursing jobs are mainly searched by nurses who reside in Alaska, or who share a desire to live in this fantastic state of the United States. The state enjoys a distinct weather and climate conditions and it is better for nurses to know the situation before accepting any assignment as a nurse in Alaska. As with any other state, there is a constant need for excellent healthcare and there are many open positions for nursing.
posted in: Alaska, Career
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Alaska Travel Nursing Jobs
Friday, November 12, 2010
The state is considered as pioneer in providing adequate healthcare facilities around the US. In order to follow its vision of great health to Alaskans, the state has active healthcare unites actively working towards improving the health status of people reside in the area. As a medical practitioner, you can find many fruitful opportunities in Alaska and serve your skills and knowledge to needy.
posted in: Alaska, Career
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Bartlett RNs Recognized at March of Dimes Nurse of Year Event
Monday, February 08, 2010
Five nurses from Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, Alaska, were recognized at the 2009 March of Dimes Nurse of the Year event Nov. 20, the Juneau Empire reports.
Nurses of the Year were Justine Muench, Legend of Nursing; Deb Manowski, Legend of Nursing; Ami Reifenstein, Rising Star; Judy Cernobyl, Legend of Nursing; and Tamara Simone-Collins, Ambulatory Nursing.
posted in: Alaska, news
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Five Bartlett nurses receive ‘Nurse of the Year’ awards
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
JUNEAU - Five nurses from Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau were recognized at the 2009 March of Dimes Nurse of the Year event held November 20 in Anchorage.
The Nurse of the Year awardees were Justine Muench ("Legend of Nursing” category), Deb Manowski ("Legend of Nursing” category), Ami Reifenstein ("Rising Star” category), Judy Cernobyl ("Legend of Nursing” category) and Tamara Simone-Collins, “(Ambulatory Nursing” category.)
posted in: Alaska, news
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Alaska needs more forensic nurses, authorities say
Monday, November 23, 2009
ANCHORAGE, Alaska—Health care workers say there’s a shortage in Alaska of forensic nurses, who prosecutors describe as crucial in bringing justice to sexual assault victims.
Studies show that between 2003 and 2007 Alaska’s reported rate of rape was more than two and a half times the national average. To make stronger cases against rapists, prosecutors say they need as much evidence as they can get—and that includes access to forensic nurses.
posted in: Alaska, news
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Local Emergency Department Nurse Receives Award
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Ketchikan, Alaska - Bev Crum, Nurse Manager for the Emergency Department of Ketchikan General Hospital in Ketchikan, Alaska, was the recipient of the Nurse Manager Award presented by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) at its annual conference on October 8 in Baltimore.
The award honors a nurse who has consistently demonstrated excellence in the profession of emergency nursing and who has made significant contributions to the profession through emergency nursing management. The recipient is an individual responsible for hiring, firing, corrective action, personnel evaluation, staffing and program development, who also demonstrates innovative program development, mentoring and leadership skills, and serves as a consultant on emergency nursing issues to other groups.
posted in: Alaska, news
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IHS awards $90.5 million contract for replacement hospital in Alaska
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Indian Health Service awarded a $90.5 million construction contract for a replacement facility at 21-bed Norton Sound Regional Hospital, Nome, Alaska, using federal stimulus dollars. The contract went to Inuit-NCI JV, which is a partnership between Inuit Services and Neeser Construction of Anchorage.
The funds were provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The new 150,000-square-foot Norton Sound hospital, scheduled to be completed in 2012, replaces a 61-year-old facility serving about 10,000 patients annually. The hospital is owned by Norton Sound Health Corp., a tribal not-for-profit group representing the Bering Strait region. “These funds will help improve healthcare, create jobs and make our native communities stronger,” said IHS Director Yvette Roubideaux, in a news release.
posted in: Alaska, news
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Barrow Replacement Hospital
Friday, September 04, 2009
The city of Barrow, Alaska, is one of the northernmost cities in the world. The population, at the time of the 2000 census, was about 4,000. Nearby, Point Barrow is the northernmost point in the United States. The location has been home to Native Inupiat Eskimo people for more than 1,000 years.
The Indian Health Service, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Denali Commission have contributed money to pay for replacement of the current hospital located at 1296 Agvik St. in Barrow. The current hospital, which has been deemed inadequate and does not meet required building codes, is scheduled to be torn down.
posted in: Alaska, news
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Nurses’ role increasing in schools
Friday, August 21, 2009
This isn’t your daddy’s school system. Or your mama’s. Just ask Naomi Walsworth, supervisor of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Health Services. Judging by the increasing number of K-12 students with medical needs, it isn’t even the same as when Walsworth completed college.
“I’d never have imagined having someone on a respirator in a school or operating an insulin pump to give insulin or checking blood sugar levels every hour,” she said. “Now, we’re figuring out how to keep these kids in school.”
posted in: Alaska, news
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