During the clinicals at our nursing school, we could have students develop teaching plans for patients. This would help the nursing staff and bring top-of-mind name awareness of our school. The students would earn a grade, and the hospital would have free teaching material for patients.
Sounds like great opportunities for all kinds of PR and good will. You are showing what differentiates your school from others that are using the same hospitals. And you are leaving a legacy. Sounds like increased word of mouth and referral possibilities. Thanks, Susan
At this point we only have Staff Development. However, this training has made me aware of how to use the Staff Development sessions to further advertise our organization. We can implement Articulation Agreement with a school that offers BSN so they can recognize our credits. We can also implement a job club and have the employers interview our students
Josefina,
Sounds like you are making a lot of changes as a result of a few ideas. We find it interesting that the staff of every organization really has a lot of great ideas. All you have to do is ask them. Usually employees don't want to volunteer their opinion or talk about new ways of doing things. But when you think about it, they really know what works and doesn't. So why not establish a culture of encouraging asking questions, speaking out, and sharing new opinions. Articulation agreements are a very good strategy and help your grads continue their education. Alumni Communities make an impact in all areas of the school. Sometimes it is about thiking in news ways. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
We currently do not have any programs in place in the community. From reviewing this material it has been made apparent that we really should have this. Reaching out to the community would only gain more visibility in the community which could equal more prospective students and improved public image.
Marcie,
Putting a Community Outreach program in place takes a bit of time but pays off in a big way. Assign one person to handle this job of developing and maintaining relationships with employers, companies that should be employing your grads, economic and philanthropic organizations, economic development boards, and more. It is amazing the increased number of people and businesses who will soon see that your school is THE place for training and staff. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
Our school visits nursing homes, and public schools in the area. I also speak to many residents in the community about health and wellness. We offer a paid student clinic where people can get a quality massage by a senior student at a very low rate. It benefits both the student, client and the school.
Thanks
Connie
Connie,
A great strategy that can be adapted in one way or another by many schools. Thanks for the details. Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
We've implemented Microsoft Office Specialist programs in our community. We've found that their is a great need for employees with Microsoft Office knowledge and the certification to prove their KSA's.
Nam,
This is great. It sounds like you spent time on researching what programs are needed in your community. It is also important to determine if there are jobs open now and in the future for the trained graduate. We think this points to why community outreach is so important. The more people you talk with the more you will discover the new training trends and what employers want in a trained employee. Very good. Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
Currently, it is my responsibility to reach out to the community and ensure our brand is recognized. I have joined the local Chamber and attend many of the networking events. I recently participated in "Elves for Elders" at a local nursing home and am in the process of donating a Christmas tree to another nursing home facility for the residents to decorate. Going forward, I will work on implementing some continuing education material that will be offered to local healthcare facilities.
Joseph,
We totally agree to have a community outreach program. This means staying in contact with employers and potential employers. Also joining all community groups and encouraging your staff to do the same. The events you have can be promoted before, during, and after and posted on your website There are many ways to gain publicity and a brand in your community. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
We recently moved to our new location and are planning a grand opening. Town officials and local newspapers will be invited and,
hopefully will result in some favorable publicity for us.
We have had the local fire department conduct their training exercises on our premises. Also, we have approached the state motor transport association to conduct their annual truck rodeo contest at our new facility and the response has been favorable.
This will give us exposure to many of the state trucking companies who will have their drivers participating in the rodeo.
There are so many good ideas in this course that I feel would be useful for us and look forward to start implementing.
VINCENT,
Wow. This is exciting. Wish I were there. You have opportunities for publicity before, during, and after. You'll have tons of photo opps for brochures, flyers, website, social media, and posters all over the place. What a great moment. Be sure to invite employers, grads, staff current and past, and more. You'll be able to sign up students, find job openings, and lots more. Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
Currently our College works closely with the Chamber of Commerce, local high schools, and employers of our students. Our advisory board and student/alumni focus groups are very helpful in informing us on how we can get involved.
We need to start formulating a more routine follow up plan. At times we will go months without looking at the results and understanding the data.
Jonathan,
Very good observations, Jonathan. When we evaluate results we can usually find solutions. We like to think that eventually every school will have a Community Outreach Director. The job of this person is to be out in the community every day. They must develop and maintain relationships with employers, organizations, development boards, and more. In fact, we joke that the person should not even have a desk at school. Their job is outside! They must learn about current jobs and future ones, externship sites, get the opinions of the community, locate ideal advisory board members, build brand, look for trends, and be the spokesperson. The salary paid this person is substantially less than a typical annual marketing budget. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
I would like to prepare a one or two day free course to gain more outside interest in my school.
Sergio,
That's an interesting idea. We think that when things are given for free they are not valued. We also think that a day long course for free or reduced price is too long. It is a great idea to offer courses or services to bring people into your school. There are many short job enhancement courses to offer. That will bring interested students, provide some revenue, and show people who wouldn't know about your offering all the programs they can enroll in. Think about renting space to organizations for meetings and training. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
We have several community engagement programs. It is a requirement for graduation to have at least one community project completed. They include several marathons, walks/runs/ health fairs, Hospice volunteers, etc.
Antonio ,
The requirement sounds great. Do you formalize the "assignment" so that students complete certain tasks and complete competencies to add to their resumes? It will take some work creating the lists of tasks and skills for each community project. And it will take time to evaluate and issue a report to the student about how they did. On the plus side, the student has evidence of experience and maybe even testimonials to add to their resumes. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
