Washington, D.C. – According to
a new report released by U.S Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, New York State is
projected to need an additional 105,739 nurses by 2020. In response to the
growing need for nurses statewide, Senator Gillibrand today unveiled plans to
create more educational opportunities at nursing institutions, train more
nursing instructors, and incentivize new nurses to work in underserved
areas.
“We
cannot fix health care if we do not address America’s nursing shortage,”
Senator Gillibrand said. “The root of the problem is that nursing institutions
across the state lack the faculty and space they need to train the next
generations of nurses we need to provide quality care. My plan will deliver the
right mix of incentives and resources to make sure every corner of New York has
the nurses we need to provide quality care to our children and families over
the next decade.”
According to the Center for Health
Workforce Studies, New York has substantially fewer registered nurses per
capita than the national average. Nursing institutions across New York report
that lack of nursing instructors and limited physical space force them to turn
down qualified nursing applicants every year. Making
the problem worse, nearly 20 percent of current nurses are over the age of 55
and will likely enter retirement over the next decade. Statewide, New York’s
current vacancy rate for nurses is approximately 8.6 percent. In 10 years, New
York State will need 105,739 additional nurses to provide quality care.
VIEW Senator Gillibrand’s report.
- New York City’s current vacancy rate for nurses
is approximately 7.5 percent. In 10 years, 59,694 additional nurses will
be needed; - Western New York’s current vacancy rate for nurses
is approximately 10.6 percent. In 10 years, 7,574 additional nurses will
be needed; - The Rochester/Finger Lakes Region’s current vacancy
rate for nurses is approximately 10.8 percent. In 10 years, 3,965 additional nurses will be needed; - Central New York’s current vacancy rate for nurses
is approximately 14.7 percent. In 10 years, 2,192 additional nurses will
be needed; - The Mohawk Valley’s current vacancy
rate for nurses is approximately 4.3 percent. In 10 years, 2,942
additional nurses will be needed; - The Southern Tier’s current vacancy
rate for nurses is approximately 7.2 percent. In 10 years, 4,951 additional
nurses will be needed; - The Capital Region’s current vacancy
rate for nurses is approximately 8.2 percent. In 10 years, 2,263
additional nurses will be needed; - The North Country’s current vacancy
rate for nurses is approximately 9.5 percent. In 10 years, 930
additional nurses will be needed; - The Hudson Valley’s current vacancy
rate for nurses is approximately 5.7 percent. In 10 years, 8,704 additional
nurses will be needed; - Long Island’s current vacancy rate for nurses is
approximately 6.3 percent. In 10 years, 12,524 additional nurses will
be needed.
In
response to the new numbers detailing the nursing shortage and the rising demand
for nurses over the next 10 years, Senator Gillibrand will work to:
1. Increase Nursing Faculty. Faculty salary
can be as much as 15 percent less than nurses make practicing in the field,
resulting in a shortage of nurses willing to serve as instructors. To help
attract more nurses into teaching, Senator Gillibrand will work to establish a
graduate degree loan repayment program for nurses that become nursing school
faculty members. She is pushing the Nurses’ Higher Education Loan Repayment
(HEAL) Act, which will offer 100 percent loan repayment to nurses who
choose a faculty role.
2. Increase Spots at Nursing Schools. To address the
long term nursing shortage, Senator Gillibrand will work to provide grants to
schools of nursing to increase the number of nursing faculty and
students. Senator Gillibrand will cosponsor the Nurse Education,
Expansion, and Development Act of 2009, which would require schools to
formulate and implement plans that will expand educational opportunities for
new nurses and provide critical federal funding to pay for it.
3. Incentivize Nurse Practitioners and Other Providers
in Underserved Area. Earlier
this year, Senator Gillibrand helped pass President Obama’s Economic Recovery
plan, which included $300 million to the National Health Service Corps to
recruit more nurses to serve in underserved areas. In the coming months,
Senator Gillibrand will advocate for additional funds to encourage more nurses
and other providers to work in underserved areas.
4. Invest in Long Term Development of Nursing
Workforce. After
three years of relatively flat funding, Senator Gillibrand is working with her
colleagues to secure $215 million for Nursing Workforce Development (Title VIII
of the Public Health Service Act) for Fiscal Year 2010. This funding would
support the education of registered nurses, advanced practice registered
nurses, nurse faculty and nurse researchers.