Studies: RN shortage easing; patient satisfaction related to work environment
The current shortage of registered nurses (RN) will temporarily ease and could even end in many areas of the country as a result of the continuing recession, but longer-term shortages loom, concludes a study published online June 12 by Health Affairs.
Looking at U.S. Census Bureau data from 1973-2008, the authors found that average annual RN employment increased more rapidly during periods of slower economic growth. For example, annual growth in RN employment increased a scant 0.7% from 2004 to 2006 — the period preceding the current economic recession. But annual RN employment grew 4.9% from 2007 to 2008, according to the study.
But the study's authors say another RN shortage will begin by 2018 and grow to about 260,000 nationwide by 2025 as older nurses retire. For more information, go to www.healthaffairs.org, and click on "Current Nurse Shortage Eases, But Future Shortfall Looms" in the "Web Exclusives" section for June 12.
A separate study also published June 12 by Health Affairs found that hospital patient satisfaction with care, as measured by the HCAHPS survey, is higher in hospitals where nurses practice in better work environments or with more favorable patient-to-nurse ratios.
For more information on the patient satisfaction study, go to the June 12 "Web Exclusives" section of www.healthaffairs.org and click on "Nursing: A Key to Patient Satisfaction."
National Health Service Corps program gets additional funding
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced the availability of nearly $200 million in additional funding to help repay the student loans of clinicians who agree to serve two years in the National Health Service Corps.
The number of Corps clinicians is expected to double with the funding from the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act;" 3,300 additional awards of up to $50,000 each will be given to medical, dental and mental health clinicians that serve in a high-need health professional shortage area. For more information, visit http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/.
Bill would ease nurse visa shortage, bolster nurse education
AHA-backed legislation recently introduced by Rep. Robert Wexler, D-FL, would set aside 20,000 employment-based visas in each of the next three years for foreign-educated registered nurses and physical therapists. "The Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act, H.R. 2536, also would provide funds to help U.S. nursing schools expand the domestic supply of nurses and establish a three-year pilot program aimed at keeping U.S. nurses in the workforce. The U.S. has a waiting list for employment-based visas for internationally educated nurses, and its nurse education programs turn away 99,000 qualified applicants a year due to lack of faculty and other resources.
Training health care professionals
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-WI, earlier this month introduced legislation to promote training unemployed workers for jobs as health care professionals. "The Community-Based Health Care Retraining Act," S.1173, would allow communities that have experienced a significant decline in employment rates to apply for Department of Labor grants under a demonstration project for establishing or expanding training efforts.
"My bill is designed to give hard-hit communities the opportunity to help retrain their citizens for good, in-demand jobs in the health care field," said Feingold. "This bill will help get people back on their feet and remain in their communities while strengthening our health care industry."
