To address ongoing and anticipated nursing shortages in many areas of the state, the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) today called on state leaders to pass legislation aimed at increasing the capacity of the state’s nursing education system.
The current nursing shortage is expected to continue or worsen in many areas of the state. In fact, according to a State Education Department survey, New York is expected to have a shortfall of 30,858 full-time registered nurses by the end of 2007.
The legislation, A. 8645/S. 4994-A, sponsored by Assemblymember Susan John (D-Rochester) and Senator George Maziarz (R,C-Newfane), would authorize the Department of Labor to award funding to schools of nursing, educational institutions, and health care providers for the development of pilot initiatives geared toward increasing the number of nurses in New York State.
The proposal would allow the funding to be used for myriad purposes, including: recruitment and retention efforts to expand faculty capacity; the development of new nursing programs; academic and clinical partnerships to increase the use of expert clinicians to expand faculty capacity; and the development of much-needed infrastructure, such as clinical simulation labs.
“Right now, nursing schools in New York State turn away thousands of applicants every year primarily because there is not enough capacity in the system to train them"
“Right now, nursing schools in New York State turn away thousands of applicants every year primarily because there is not enough capacity in the system to train them,” HANYS’ President Daniel Sisto said. “Those nursing applicants represent a solution to current and anticipated nursing shortages, yet we turn them away because we don’t adequately support the nursing education system. We have to make the investments necessary to train these candidates.”
Senator Maziarz said, “There are real nursing shortages in New York State and we need to do something about it. This is an issue that doesn’t get reported on every day, but the need is very real and it affects millions of New Yorkers every day. We need more quality health care providers to help patients and their families. Let’s create incentives to draw more people into this critically important field of work.”
Those nursing applicants represent a solution to current and anticipated nursing shortages, yet we turn them away because we don’t adequately support the nursing education system. We have to make the investments necessary to train these candidates.
Assemblymember John said, “In many ways, New York State’s dedicated nurses are the backbone of our health care delivery system. I am proud to have sponsored this legislation which addresses the root of the nursing shortage in New York by making funds available for nursing education, recruitment, and retention programs.”
According to a 2005 analysis from the Center for Health Workforce Studies, as many as 2,760, or 59%, of nursing school applicants in New York were turned away in the prior year. The same study found the number of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) declined by nearly 6,000, or slightly more than 8%, between 2000 and 2004. Nationally, nursing colleges and universities were forced to turn away a staggering 32,617 qualified applicants in 2005 due to capacity constraints, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
“We simply cannot address the nursing shortage without increasing our capacity to train more nurses,” Mr. Sisto said. “This legislation is critically important if we are to continue to provide adequate nursing care to the millions of New Yorkers who count on their local hospitals and health care facilities.”
HANYS, the only statewide hospital and continuing care association in New York State, represents more than 550 non-profit and public hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, and other health care organizations.
