CONTINUED FROM 1
SHORTFALL PROJECTED NURSING
are of an age where they’re able to retire or retire early, and we don’t fully understand the impact of that.” Love said a lack of nursing school faculty is also hurting the profession. “So many quali ed applicants ... for baccalaureate and graduate programs can’t really get accepted in nursing school for lack of the faculty that’s needed [to teach them],” Love said. Many hospitals and professional organizations are o ering support to those interested in entering the nurs- ing workforce through grants and scholarships. Baylor Scott & White Health o ers professional development plans for its nurses, which includes scholar- ships for nursing sciences, fellowship programs to transition nurses into new care settings and discussions on career goals, according to Matt Olivolo, who is a Baylor Scott & White Health marketing and public relations consultant. “At Baylor Scott & White Health we have multidisciplinary teams focused on workforce solutions,” Olivolo said in a statement. “We continue to invest in our workforce, including o ering competitive hiring bonuses for critical positions. Additionally, we recently made a signi cant investment— totaling more than $164 million—by increasing the take-home pay of more than 12,000 frontline employees in nursing care roles.” Because of these e orts, o cials at Baylor Scott & White Medical Cen- ter-Grapevine said their facilities are sta ed appropriately. Zolnierek said now is a good time for young nurses to enter the workforce. “Pre-COVID[-19], not all new grad- uates were nding jobs in hospitals,” Zolnierek said. “Now there are all kinds of opportunities.”
The Health Professions Resource Center along with the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies contracted with a private rm to project supply and demand for registered nurses.
Types of Nurses The nursing eld has a wide variety of occupations, each requiring a di erent level of education.
Surplus/shortage projected By 2030 This map shows the surplus (+) or shortage (-) of registered nurses projected in the year 2030 that was measured in full-time equivalent positions along with the percentage of unmet demand by region.
SOURCE: HEALTH PROFESSIONS RESOURCE CENTER COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Key
+878 | 0% Panhandle
Practical nursing program Associate degree and registered nursing license
Master’s degree and advanced practice license Ph.D.
-3,537 | 19.10%
North Texas
-12,739 | 12.80%
Licensed vocational nurse • Technical nurses who must be supervised by either physicians or registered nurses Registered nurse • Entry-level nurses Advanced practice nurses • This category includes nurse practitioners, certi ed nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and clinical nurses specialists. Nurses with Ph.D.s • Nurses may have doctoral degrees in nursing practice or research.
East Texas
West Texas
Central Texas
-647 | 4.20%
-7,387 | 18.30%
Gulf Coast
South Texas
DESIGNED BY NICOLAS DELGADILLO
-1,942 | 5.60%
“The health care workforce is at a critical standpoint,” said Stephen Love, president and CEO of the Dal- las-Fort Worth Hospital Council. “The COVID-19 pandemic took a very heavy toll on health care teams, especially on the front lines. As a result, many have su ered stress, trauma, burnout and behavioral health challenges.” A 2018 study from the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies proj- ects that the state will be short nearly E orts are underway on numerous fronts both locally and at a broader level to take care of those nurses who are still on the job and to recruit more to join the profession. “We have a focus to hire and retain team members who ll direct patient care roles, like registered nurses,” said Melissa Winter, interim president 60,000 nurses by 2032. Ways to recruit, retain
-18,472 | 9.90%
Rio Grande Valley
-6,099 | 27.10%
and west region chief nursing o - cer at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Grapevine. The Texas Nurses Association has several programs in place to help. Its Nursing Shortage Reduction Program incentivizes schools to produce more graduates. The association also con- tributes to a Faculty Loan Repayment Program. “The nursing shortage has two prongs to solve it,” said Cindy Zol- nierek, CEO of the Texas Nurses Association. “One is producing more nurses, and the other end is keeping them. I think health care organiza- tions are doing a lot to try to support particularly diverse sta because if
SOURCE: CINDY ZOLNIEREK COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
they support their sta , they’re likely to be loyal and want to stay with that organization. So there is a return on investment there.” Love and Zolnierek both said the average age of nurses today and a shortage of nursing professionals in academia leave room for further shortages in the eld. “The work environment during COVID[-19] was so intense and so dif- cult for nurses that some are leaving nursing, or they may be taking a tem- porary break,” Zolnierek said. “Some
$ 1,000 OFF Full Bathroom or Kitchen Remodel Cannot be combined with any other offers. Must present offer at time of estimate. Expires 7/4/22 Build your dream Kitchen & Bathroom! Locally-Owned & Operated
16 Years of everything lighting Interior and Exterior
817-310-3261 Call for your free landscape lighting quote today! Passion Lighting 1649 W Northwest Highway GV www.passionlighting.com
FREE IN-HOME CONSULTATION 469.676.9000 wecare@remodelprous.com
www.remodelprous.com
24
COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook