School of Nursing Scrapbook 1979

San Diego, California

Wednesday, November 21 ,

4Parts - 51hges

Shortage of nurses reported By JOSEPH THESKEN TRIBUNE Education Writer San Diego County suffers from a se~ere shortage of nurses tramect in the care of chronically mentally ill patients. This defic:iency in the county's health care ser– vice was disclosed at the University of San Diego, where USD officials yester– day announced receiving a $1 million grant to train registered nurses in psychi– atric nursing. "We badly need nurses. who can provide psychoth– erapy for such patients when they are turned loose into the community, follow– ing hospital care," an– nounced Janet Blenner project director of th~ grant. "There has been short– term care given up to now, but we will try to provide long-term therapy as a re– sult of this grant." She said the program, to be funded by a National Institute for Mental Health grant, will begin next Feb– ruary with the admission of eight students. Each year, eight more will be trained over a two-year period.