SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Assemblymembers Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) and Juan Arambula (D-Fresno), announced today that their measure (Assembly Bill 867) to address a severe nursing shortage in California was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on a bipartisan 11 to 0 vote.
“I am very pleased that AB 867 is moving forward with today’s vote. This measure will enable nursing programs across California to expand appropriately to meet the enrollment demand in nursing education programs and the state’s critical need for registered nurses,” said Nava. “Our state’s higher education system cannot currently meet our healthcare workforce needs. This measure is an important step towards rectifying this problem.”
AB 867 will allow the California State University (CSU) to independently award a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, and will allow the CSU to train their own nursing faculty and the California Community College faculty, as well as nurses for advanced practice (for example, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse- midwives). Under current law, the California State University system can train nurses but cannot offer Doctorate of Nursing Degrees (DNP). Faculty must have earned a DNP to train nurses.
The California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) estimates that the state’s registered nurse (RN) shortage is between 10,294 and 59,027 full-time positions. Central to this issue is a shortage of nursing faculty — there are not enough teachers available to meet the low student-to-faculty ratios required by accreditors and licensing boards for undergraduate nursing degree programs.
“The Central Valley has about 20 percent fewer nurses per capita then the national average. The Valley is in desperate need of nurses and the lack of faculty to teach them worsens the problem,” said Assemblymember Juan Arambula. “AB 867 will ensure nursing programs have the faculty needed to meet the raising demand of registered nurses in the state.”
AB 867 now moves to the Senate Floor for consideration.
Background Information
· In 2006, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) found that nearly 41,000 qualified applicants were turned away from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs due to a lack of faculty and other resources.
· According to the 2006-07 BRN Annual School Report, expansion in RN education has required the hiring of more faculty. However the demand for faculty continues to be greater than can be met currently by the state. California RN programs reported 206 unfilled faculty positions in 2006-07, a 5.9% vacancy rate.
· The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects that 90% more RNs must be produced in order to meet the predicted need for one million new nurses in the American healthcare system by 2020.
I found this article quite interesting. Yes, more nurses are needed but currently new graduate nurses are finding it very difficult to find jobs due to lack of monies needed to train them. I am a recently graduated RN and I keep hearing the same story everywhere I apply or attempt to apply. “We are not hiring new grad nurses at this time” is what I have been told on a number of occasions. When I started back to school in 2006, I was informed that right from nursing school I would be employed and have a job. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. There have been some that have been fortunate to have been offered employment but there are still thousands of us waiting for that opportunity.
Charlene, I really feel for you right now. I read this article about the shortage and I know many, many nurses that are unable to get a job at this time. Our facility paid for the LVN to RN bridge program but are unable to actually hire them after graduation. It is really frustrating. I graduated in 1999 and am very thankful for my career at this time. I am back in school to continue my education because there will be alot of opportunities for me in the future and for you also, so just hang in there.
I think it is misleading that there are still articles stating that there is a nursing shortage. Saying that it may be a little difficult for new grads to find jobs is an understatement! I graduated in 2009 and have submitted over 200 applications and have not even been able to get an interview at a hospital! I customize every cover letter, have exceptional references and extensive work history (just not as an RN), and have even tried networking yet I still cannot find a job.
There is no nursing shortage. This is a myth. There are thousand of unemployable new grad students, because there is just no jobs for them.
I know lots of new grads RNs that cannot get work.
If hospitals would open up their doors to New Graduate RN’s then we would have absolutely no problem in California. California hospitals are opening their doors to Registry Nurses, Traveler Nurses and Nurses that literally fly into California for several shifts in a row and then fly home to another state to spend their money and be with their families. The shortage is solely in the mind of the administration, as they are unwilling to look at New Graduate Nurses as prospective employees. This is what should be researched and addressed.
Hospitals pay a lot more to take out of state and registry nurses, but are unwilling to open up programs for New Graduates or unwilling to hire them, insisting that it costs more to do so than to hire the way that they do. Meanwhile, money is being flushed out of state. Seasoned nurses and nurses from out of state are appalled by the inability of hospitals here to hire their own. Those of us that went to school in California are devastated when we get out, as there are hundreds to thousands of us “New Graduates” that are out of work and out of luck.