To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Public Health
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
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Professional Nursing Clinical Education Affiliation Agreement by and between County of Humboldt and California State University - Chico
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve the Professional Nursing Clinical Education Affiliation Agreement by and between the County of Humboldt and California State University - Chico; and
2. Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services - Public Health Director, or a designee thereof, to execute the attached Professional Nursing Clinical Education Affiliation Agreement by and between the County of Humboldt and California State University - Chico for Fiscal Years 2025-26 through 2027-28; and
3. Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services - Public Health Director, or a designee thereof, to execute any and all subsequent amendments, certifications, attestations, and documents directly associated with the attached Professional Nursing Clinical Educations Affiliation Agreement by and between the County of Humboldt and California State University - Chico after review and approval by County Counsel, Risk Management and the County Administrative Office.
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STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Workforce & Operational Excellence
Strategic Plan Category: 3001 - Support a well-trained workforce
DISCUSSION:
The County of Humboldt Department of Health and Human Services - Public Health Branch (“DHHS - PHB”) has had longstanding agreements with California State Polytechnic University Humboldt (“Cal Poly Humboldt”), California State University - Chico (“CSU - Chico”), and College of the Redwoods (“CR”) to provide Cal Poly Humboldt and CSU - Chico’s Baccalaureate degree nursing programs’ students and CR’s associate degree nursing program students with opportunities for clinical internship experiences in Community/Public Health nursing and Psychiatric/Mental Health nursing. These clinical nursing internships have benefitted Cal Poly Humboldt, CSU - Chico, and CR’s nursing students, local hospitals, and DHHS - PHB as a portion of those students are often employed locally upon graduation.
The Public Health Nurses at DHHS - PHB are filling the role of preceptors for nursing students. Preceptors play an essential role in the clinical education of nursing students, serving as the bridge between the classroom and the practical, offering insights that textbooks cannot provide. Nursing students are rotated through the Communicable Disease, Clinic, Foster Care Nursing, California Children’s Services, Maternal Child and Adolescent Health and Nurse-Family Partnership/California Home Visiting programs.
County of Humboldt maintains Workers’ Compensation Insurance as required by the California Labor Code and has agreed to extend said coverage to include CSU - Chico Nursing students, but only during their individual clinical education rotations and duration of this agreement.
The Professional Nursing Clinical Education Affiliation Agreement before your Board today will allow DHHS - PHB to place nursing students pursuing baccalaureate degrees through CSU - Chico as clinical interns at DHHS - PHB. This will contribute to the education of nursing students and help diminish the shortage of qualified nurses in Humboldt County.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Public Health Fund (1175) Public Health Nursing (416)
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this agreement.
STAFFING IMPACT:
There is no staffing impact associated with this agreement, other than the time of Public Health Nurses to provide this training to nursing students. This is ultimately beneficial to the recruitment of future Public Health Nurses.
AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
No other agencies are involved in this Agreement.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board could choose not to approve the proposed agreement. However, this is not recommended because the attached agreement will benefit Humboldt County by increasing the number of trained certified nurses and contribute to the overall quality of Humboldt County’s workforce.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. CM-1958 Professional Nursing Clinical Education Affiliation Agreement CSU - Chico
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A