Longtime Clackamas Community College (CCC) nursing instructor Judith Andersen is one of three Oregon nurses included in the American Nurse Project, a tribute to nurses across the United States. She will be honored next week at the annual fundraiser of the Oregon Center for Nursing.
The American Nurse Project is the work of photographer Carolyn Jones and her team, who began a journey across the United States in early 2012 recording the unique experiences of nurses at work. The first phase of the project resulted in a book and website of video interviews of the nurses from several states. The second phase, which includes Andersen, chronicles the stories of three nurses from each of the 50 states. Their stories are shared at www.americannurseproject.com.
Jones met with Andersen in June, recorded her story and photographed her with her student nurses. Andersen has served as the director of the Workforce Improvement with Immigrant Nurses (WIIN) program at CCC for the past 10 years.
The WIIN program began in 2003, funded by a grant. The WIIN program prepares experienced foreign-educated nurses living in the U.S. to enter the nursing workforce here and eases their transition into practice. Since the program began, nearly 90 nurses from 30 countries have completed the program and are now working in hospitals, long-term care, the American Red Cross, corrections, health clinics and dialysis centers. These multicultural nurses understand the needs and customs of an increasingly diverse immigrant population.
CCC continued to fund the program for several years after the original grant ended. In the spring of 2013, due to budget constraints, the college made the difficult decision to suspend the program while reaching out to the community to find additional support and funding.
For more information, please contact Janet Paulson at 503-594-3162.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
