A Celebration for Nursing

Georgia Nursing, Feb-Apr 2004 by Carmon, Myra

Presidential Message

Disruption of Healthcare in Georgia and the nation continues due to the growing scarcity of nurses and nursing educators. The nursing shortage continues to escalate even though the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reports that nursing school enrollments are up 15.9%. The increase comes after a 8.1% in 2002 and a 3.7% in 2001. These increases have reversed the previous trends of decreased enrollments but will not be sufficient to solve the nations nursing shortage which is expected to continue for the next 10-15 years. Also, the shortage of nursing faculty has impacted the number of students nursing schools can accommodate.

Even with the continuing nursing shortage of nurses and faculty, there have been positive efforts to assist with funding, promoting and celebrating nursing through the Promise for Nursing GALA and passage of several federal bills.

The Promise for Nursing for Georgia was held on November 12, 2003 at the Cobb Galleria. This was a collaborative effort of Johnson and Johnson and a Steering Committee composed of healthcare agencies, businesses and foundations to provide an opportunity to celebrate nurses and their everyday, extraordinary contributions. Georgia Nurses Association and Georgia Nurses Foundations were represented on the Steering Committee. Also other agencies were table sponsors. There were 62 tables purchased which generated approximately one-half million dollars for nursing in Georgia. The funds will be allocated for three areas: Student Scholarships, Faculty Fellowships, and Nursing School Grants. The Student scholarships will be distributed through the Foundation of the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA). Any nursing student in Georgia may apply for these scholarship funds. Applications can be obtained on the NSNA website-www.nsna.org.

Faculty Fellowships is for nurses in Georgia interested in pursuing higher education to enable them to teach nursing. Application can be obtained on the National League for Nursing (NLN) website-www.nln.org. The grants for Nursing Schools will be available to institutions that teach nursing. These grants are to enable institutions to expand their nursing program capacity. All institutions that teach nursing in Georgia may send their proposals to the Georgia Hospital Association or contact Karen Waters at 770-249-4500.

This Gala Event for Nursing was exciting and will be rewarding for nursing students, faculty, and nursing schools in Georgia.

Several pieces of legislation have impacted nursing. The Nursing Staffing Bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives will ensure adequate registered nurse (RN) staffing in health care facilities The Quality Nursing Care Act of 2004 (HR 3656) was introduced on December 8, 2003 by US Representative Lois Capps (D-CA). This legislation will protect RNs and patients. If enacted, the legislation will mandate the development of staffing systems in hospitals aimed at ending the widespread practice of unsafe patient loads and mandatory overtime, floating to units without proper training and orientation, and other practices that undermine the delivery of safe, quality care. This proposed legislation mandates the development of staffing systems that require the input of direct-care RNs, provides whistleblowing protections for RNs speaking out about unsafe staffing and practices. Contact your legislators for support.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed an Omnibus bill on December 8th that includes $30 million increase in funding for nursing education programs. Over the last two fiscal years, funding for Title VIII of the Public Health Services Act, titled workforce development has increased 60%. Funding has risen from $83 million in FY 2002 to $143 million in FY 2004.

In closing, the nursing shortage continues even though the nursing student enrollments are increasing. The Promise for Nursing celebrated nursing which was special to recognize nursing and the contributions that nurses make to the care of the sick and to acknowledge their important role in health care delivery. The funds from the Gala and legislation will help to support nursing in Georgia. Also, the staffing bill will address one of the primary reasons that nurses leave the profession. Retention is just as important as increased admissions to address the nursing shortage. Call your legislators and inform nursing students, faculty and nursing schools about grants made available by the funds from the Promise for Nursing Gala.

Happy New Year to each of you. It is with pride that I tell you that Nurses again rank number 1 in the Gallup "Honesty and Ethics Poll for their honesty and integrity.

Myra Carmon, EdD, CPNP, RN

President