Need For Change

It is evident that there a national shortage of nurses. Estimated projections show a dismal future if no attempts are made to alleviate the pressures that are driving nurses out of the profession and accommodate increasing student interest and enrollment.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) estimates the supply of nurses in America will fall 36 percent below requirements by the year 2020, and that RNs leaving the workforce will outpace those entering the profession by 2016. According to The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) survey, data from 2006-2007 showed that nursing colleges and universities denied admission to 42,866 qualified applicants due to insufficient faculty (71%), and full admission seats(74%). Additionally, a lack of funding forced the HRSA to turn away 82 percent of the applicants for the Nurse Education Loan Repayment Program (NELRP), and another 94 percent for the Nursing Scholarship Program.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Opinions on the Nursing Education Opportunities Act

Since the bill is in the first steps of the legislative process there have been few personal or political comments in favor of or opposing the bill. Some supporters for the bill include Dr. Betty Paulanka, Dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Delaware and Dr. Jeanette Lancaster, President of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Dr. Betty Paulanka says "We applaud Sen. Biden for this initiative to address the nursing shortage with funding initiatives for returning adult students and for meeting Delaware's longtime need for a doctoral program in nursing. These issues are not being addressed in previous bills". Dr. Jeanette Lancaster explains the situation further that "[a]t the heart of the problem is the need for doctoral nurse faculty". http://www.blogthecoast.com/primary/breaking/2007/10/

Other supporters for this bill include:

Association for Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) http://www.awhonn.org/awhonn/content.do;jsessionid=624317FF5017105DE76B85C79B01D97D?name=05_HealthPolicyLegislation/5B4d_NursingShortage.htm

National League for Nursing (NLN)
http://capwiz.com/nln/issues/bills/

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:Kp7AgzmZRqoJ:www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/pdf/NEOAct.pdf+Against:+Nursing+Education+Opportunities+Act:+S.+2230&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Regardless of the poll posted on this blog, currently there is no outspoken opposition to this bill.

The priority for all those concerned and the reason this blog has been created is to provide and encourage discussion in hopes that this bill will gain recognition among politicians and the general public. We encourage people to talk about this bill with others and to write your congressman about the concern you have for the continuous lack of nurses in the field. This is a way we all can give voice to the concerns of our health system and to become an advocate for current and future patients.
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