Debra Gulley-Collins, RN, BSN – Senior Program Manager at Workforce Connections (WC) has been with WC since 2009, with experience in health care quality and patient education, healthcare workforce. She provides oversight of Department of Labor training and employment funds which train and place qualified adult and dislocated workers into health care occupations.
Debra also performs program support pertaining to projects and policy tasks related to the adult and dislocated and Youth programs. She conducts inspections/monitoring and reviews, to determine compliance with requirements, laws, regulations, policies and procedures. Debra also evaluates and research findings relative to specific projects developed. Examines and verifies reports and documents to ensure legal compliance with state statues and agency regulations; reviews legal orders to ensure compliance.
Debra provides grant writing for the agency and supports the state of Nevada grants office. Ms. Collins is currently developing career pathways and an Apprenticeship for workforce development professionals (Workforce Development Apprenticeship for Professionals (WDAP) within Nevada, working with the Department of Labor Apprenticeship office.
In 2009-2012, Ms. Collins developed the Nevada Health Care Sector Council, by securing the State Health Care Workforce Development Planning Grant, HRSA.
In Southern Nevada, she provides an opportunity for secondary education students, ages 16 through 24, to shadow health care professionals in hospitals and learn about health care careers, encouraging students to pursue a health care profession and future employment opportunities. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Nevada Action Coalition, the driving force of the Future of Nursing: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant, Campaign for Action, to effect long term sustainable change at the local, state and regional levels by providing opportunities to transform healthcare through nursing.
She has also served as the Chair of Nevada Alliance for Nursing Excellence (NANE). NANE is comprised of nursing leaders such as, Chief Nursing officers of Nevada hospitals, statewide Deans and Directors of public and private nursing schools, Nevada State Board of Nursing, Nevada Hospital Association, and Nevada System of Higher Education. NANE provides a premiere system for nursing education and practice that provides nursing expertise and optimal capacity of the nursing workforce to ensure a healthy Nevada.
She has dedicated more than 30 years of her professional experience and knowledge to workforce development and to the health care field.