State Legislators Addressing Nursing Shortage

In response to the current nursing shortage, state legislators throughout the nation are sponsoring legislation designed to attract students to nursing and bring back former nurses who left the field for more lucrative and less stressful work.

In Pennsylvania, Senator Harold Mowery (R-Cumberland) has introduced a bill under which the state would provide approximately $3,000 in scholarships for each year a student works in a Pennsylvania hospital experiencing a shortage. The legislation would also forgive a percentage of college loans for RNs and LPNs working in hospitals, nursing homes, or private homes. Under the bill, a nursing student could have up to $20,000 in college loans forgiven. In New Jersey, two lawmakers plan to introduce legislation that would provide tuition reimbursement and financial assistance to graduates of state-affiliated nursing schools.

Recruiting new nurses is critical because nursing school enrollments have been steadily declining and a large number of nurses are nearing retirement age. According to a study conducted by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the number of new nurses entering the field between 1992 and 1996 was 14.2%. This number dropped to 4.1% between 1996 and 2000. In addition, the percentage of nurses under the age of 40 dropped to 31.7% in 2000-down from 52.9% in 1980. "The fact is we're not attracting enough new nurses or maintaining the current workforce at a level to keep pace with the growth in demand," says Claude Earl Fox, a HRSA administrator.

Although recruitment is a critical piece of the puzzle, it is not the complete solution. Many nurses cite stressful work environments as a primary cause for leaving the profession-meaning that stronger retention strategies are needed as well. Proposed changes to the system include whistleblower protection, mandatory overtime prohibitions, and lower nurse-patient ratios. Some states have begun responding to these needs. In Rhode Island, lawmakers have submitted a proposal to limit mandatory overtime to 12 hours. In California, lawmakers are looking to limit the number of patients that each nurse cares for. In Pennsylvania, some hospitals have even begun turning away patients rather than overburden their existing staff.

From the March 14, 2001 Philadelphia Inquirer article, "Lawmakers Address Nursing Shortage," by Ovetta Wiggins and Larry Lewis