Community nursing symposium coming to Oxnard a week from Friday

The Ventura Nursing Legacy Project will have a community nursing symposium from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Fri., April 4 in the conference center at St. John's Regional Medical Center, 1600 N. Rose Ave., Oxnard.

The symposium will focus on the environment of the nursing practice and issues that affect it, such as retaining nurses throughout their careers, developing emerging clinical leaders and designing a model practice environment.

Speakers will present national, state and local perspectives on topics such as work force development, magnet hospital certification, RN career transition programs and clinical leadership and preceptor development.

Scheduled guest speakers include Hugh J. Ralston, president and chief executive officer of Ventura County Community Foundation; Laurie Bingham, chief nursing officer of St. John's Regional Medical Center; Rick Martin, senior vice president, clinical operations and chief nursing officer of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian; Kathleen Kessler, coordinator of professional education and professional partnerships at Michigan State University; Nola Maloy, senior programs officer of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation; Peggy Diller, interim chief nursing officer at Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara Medical Center; Charles Krozek, president and managing director of Versant; and Dr. Barbara Thorpe, professor of nursing at California State University Channel Islands.

The Ventura Nursing Legacy Project, a partnership between Ventura County Community Foundation and Cal State Channel Islands, was formed as part of a national initiative to develop and test solutions to America's nursing shortage.

For more information or to reserve a space, e-mail annette .puyolt@csuci.edu.