Opinion: Steps to ease nursing shortage

With more than 9,000 Florida nursing positions unfilled, legislation signed last week by Gov. Jeb Bush takes several important and immediate steps toward easing the shortage. The Nursing Shortage Solution Act will allow more students to enroll in state nursing schools and make it easier for out-of-state nurses to move here.

Without help, hospitals expect the state's nurse deficit to grow to 30,000 within the next five years -- a shortage that undoubtably would have a dangerous impact on the level of available quality health care. Until now, finding work in Florida has been difficult for out-of-state nurses, because they had to pass extensive background checks that could take up to a year. The situation, which left many nurses looking elsewhere for work, will be alleviated under the legislation.

Out-of-state nurses will be allowed to start work right away as long as they are licensed in another state and have no pending disciplinary actions against them. To ensure that quality is not overlooked in the hiring haste, nurses will receive six-month temporary Florida licenses while the state conducts more comprehensive background checks.

The bill also recognizes the need to draw young people into the field. The law removes nursing school enrollment caps that forced state universities to turn away hundreds of students each year. Thanks to the legislation, the number of nursing students at the University of South Florida could increase from 70 to 120, said USF Nursing School Dean Patricia Burns.

For graduates who agree to stay and work in Florida, the bill includes incentives such as expanded scholarships and student loan forgiveness. It provides $1-million in matching grant money for hospital recruitment efforts and funds to encourage public school students to consider nursing programs.

Despite its name, the bill does not hand Florida a solution to its nursing shortage. State numbers reflect a nationwide shortage, with few states having more than 1,000 nurses per 100,000 people. The nursing profession still faces problems that legislation can't easily solve. An aging population combined with frequent hospital mergers, layoffs and heavy workloads add to nursing woes and make it difficult for health care facilities to retain their staff. Many states, and the federal government, have been considering taking formal steps to improve the situation, but Florida is one of the first to pass such legislation. Now that the governor and the Legislature have done their part to encourage nurses to work and study in Florida, it's up to the private sector to provide the incentives needed to encourage them to stay.

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