Like many states, Texas is facing the nursing shortage and trying to battle it head on. Green, Wick, et al., (2004) noted that in Texas unfilled nurse positions ranged from 10% to as high as 18% in some specialty areas. They also contribute the nursing shortage in Texas to an aging nursing workforce with an average age of 46 years, aging nursing faculty with an average age of 51 years, increased age and number of Texas citizens needing care and a vast variety of job options for women.
So what are we doing?
During the 2007 session of the Texas Legislature several bills were presented that addressed the nursing shortage. They are presented here.
• SB 138-Relating to promoting the retention and graduation of students enrolled in professional nursing programs (Texas Legislature Online, 2007).
• SB 139-Relating to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Board of Nurse Examiners to study the current nursing curriculum and recommend improvements in order to ensure that Texas nursing programs teach the highest quality nursing curriculum (Texas Legislature Online, 2007).
• SB 289-Relating to the use of professional nursing shortage reduction program grants to encourage clinical nursing instruction by part-time faculty at public or private institutions of higher education (Texas Legislature Online, 2007).
• SB 992/HB 1894-Relating to the use of money from the permanent fund for health-related programs to provide grants to nursing education programs (Texas Legislature Online, 2007).
• HB 1775-Relating to the allowance of Stephen F. Austin State University to issue tuition revenue for the expansion of the school of nursing (Texas Legislature Online, 2007).
• HB 3443-Relating to the creation of the Texas Hospital-Based Nursing Education Partnership Grant Program (Texas Legislature Online, 2007).
The key elements to reducing the nursing shortage are increasing funding and programs that support nursing education, nursing faculty and the nursing workforce.
Specific Action Steps
• Form partnerships among institutions for nursing education, hospitals as nurse employers, governmental agencies providing funding and regulations, and the private sector as monetary donors and researchers. Resourceful and effective strategies can be created to attract additional nurses to the profession.
• Recognize nursing schools that are successful in retaining and graduating students. Bring the current graduation rate in Texas nursing programs from 56% to 85% (Nelson, 2006). This rate will have to quickly improve to keep up with the demands for nursing care in the state of Texas.
• Enhance funding for educational programs—renovations to school facilities, faculty salaries, and student loans/scholarships.
• Legislation to improve nurse satisfaction, to provide healthy work environments, and to improve patient safety and patient satisfaction.
• Focus on improving in three important areas: create a culture of retention, bolster the nursing educational infrastructure, and establish financial incentives for investing in nursing (Green, Wick, et al., 2004)
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3 comments:
This is great. I actually had a conversation today with a faculty member in regards to my thoughts on some of these very same things.The transition from school to the "real world" can be difficult. The impending shortage is expected to lead to a shortage of instructors as well... something will need to be done. The suggestions you present are excellent examples. I believe that partnering between schools and hospitals may be the wave of the future.
Unfortunately, money talks in this day and age. So many nurses out there are working way too hard for what they are getting paid. I know I cannot speak for all. I believe that to get more people into nursing programs, more scholarships, grants and tuition reimbursement will have to be offered. In order to retain more nurses, salaries will probably have to be increased. With the economy in the shape it is today that will be pretty tough for most of the country.
I agree with mcholton who said that to get more people into nursing programs, more scholarships, grants and tuition reimbursement will have to be offered, and that in order to retain more nurses, salaries will probably have to be increased. I think this is especially the case for nursing educators who are not paid as highly as they should be. I believe one of the key elements that is missing in nursing education is an equivalent pay as to what a nurse could make in the hospital setting. This would definitely attract more nurses to education. Further, it is up to us as nurses to advocate not only for our patients, but our profession to make sure this equality exists.
Jen
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