The Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) Caring Foundation has awarded a $10,000.00 “CaringforCommunities” Grant to Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB). Established in 1989, the BCBSND Caring Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Through giving and investing, the Caring Foundation focuses on key health issues that help improve the health and well-being of North Dakotans and their communities. Caring Foundation staff work with grantees to support nonprofit sustainability, collaborate on shared outcomes, and create lasting change. This award will be applied towards the nursing simulation and ancillary equipment to train future nurses in a safe, realistic environment.

The “CaringforCommunities” Grant recognizes that developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a lifelong process and our communities play an integral role. Nurses are well positioned to improve health equity, especially for patients and families in rural and underserved communities where health inequities are widespread. Amber Blomberg, Executive Director of the BCBSND Caring Foundation states, “We are proud to invest in the future of healthcare by supporting the nursing workforce. By ensuring high-quality education, we are empowering nurses to deliver exceptional care and build a stronger healthcare system for all. ”A diverse nursing workforce is a high priority for addressing the nursing shortage. DCB is striving to fill these positions with qualified nurses. With three locations, DCB graduates over 100 practical and associate degree nurses annually.

A fully equipped training lab and simulation experience is essential to the success of DCB nursing students.  Students who are trained with simulation equipment have the advantage of learning from deliberative practice that allows them to make and learn from mistakes. The newly remodeled Old Main building on DCB’s campus is being renovated as a rural health education center. Leslie Stevens, Foundation Director, is looking forward to the opening. “We want to be ready to welcome nursing students pursuing their practical and associate degrees, allowing them to test for their LPN and RN license. This beautiful, state of the art classroom and lab facility is scheduled to open fall, 2024.”

2024.”