With a persistent nursing shortage in Washington State, WSNA has taken a comprehensive
approach to the growing crisis with a strategy that encompasses both recruitment
and retention of nurses.
WSNA has worked to expand access to education, improve the workplace, increase funding
for nursing faculty, grow capacity in nursing education programs and advance the
Master Plan for Nursing Education.
The Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University of Washington recently
estimated that the RN shortfall in this state, without changes in health and education
policy and practices, would reach nearly 25,000 RNs by 2020. Our increasing dependence
on nurses educated in other states or foreign countries will likely pose a major
problem as the national nursing shortage worsens.
One of WSNA’s top legislative priorities is to increase access and capacity
of nursing education with the following strategies:
Increasing funding for enrollments slots specifically for nursing students at state
universities & community colleges.
Increasing funding for nursing faculty salaries in order to recruit and retain qualified,
experienced nursing educators.
Increasing funding for expanding nursing program capacity through capital budget
allocation for both community colleges and universities.
Increasing funding for scholarship and loan repayment/ forgiveness programs for
nursing students and RNs pursuing a Master’s Degree in Nursing in order to
fill the increasing demand for nursing faculty in our schools.
Despite a clear and critical need for more registered nurses, there are simply not
enough resources devoted to nursing education programs to meet demand. An aging
faculty workforce and lower salaries for nursing faculty compared to nurses providing
direct patient care only compound this increasing problem. In fact, without sufficient
faculty, many nursing programs are already limiting their enrollments at the very
time that expansion is needed to accommodate the growing shortage.
In addition to education, investing in nurse retention is financially responsible
now and for the future. It costs $80,000 - $100,000 to replace a nurse. Creating
a workplace where nurses are valued, respected and fulfilled reduces burnout, promotes
retention, saves the employer money and reduces inefficiency in the economy as a
whole. WSNA has worked through our collective bargaining agreements and in the legislature
to improve working conditions for nurses. Our participation in the 2009 ‘Promise
of Nursing’ event raised more than three hundred thousands dollars for nursing
scholarships, faculty development and nursing program capacity expansion in Washington
State.
Master Plan for Nursing Education Advances
As a key participant in the Washington Center for Nursing, WSNA was active in the
development of the Master Plan for Nursing Education. This plan is a comprehensive
approach to ensuring that we have a streamlined, student-friendly, affordable, high-quality
nursing education system that produces a sufficient supply of well-prepared nursing
professionals to care for our residents. We want to attract and retain the best
nurses and nursing faculty. Major components of the plan include:
- By 2010, LPN programs will have formal agreements with at least one public or private
Associate Degree Program (ADN) approved in Washington State so that students can
move easily from LPN to RN and reduce duplication of classes.
- By 2012, the Associate Degree Programs (ADN) will have formal agreements with at
least one public or private Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing program approved
in Washington State.
- Expansion of existing RN-to-BSN programs and possible creation of more RN-to-BSN
programs designed for working nurses to complete part-time, on-line or in the workplace
so that students can move easily to that level of education.
- Recommended guideline that by 2020, all newly licensed RNs in Washington State will
have a BSN or must acquire a Bachelor’s degree in nursing within 10 years
of licensure. This recommendation will not affect nurses currently practicing at
that time.
- Expanding capacity of Master’s and Doctoral degree programs to educate teachers
so that we have more nurse educators.
- Increased funding for nursing enrollment slots, scholarships and loan repayment/forgiveness
programs.
- Increased diversity in the student and faculty populations.
