[Jules A]

Originally Posted by txspadequeen921

Why not use that 10 M and hire more teachers to get more nurses graduated and ready to work.

Duh, because that might actually provide some positive results! I can't believe they are dumping more money into this subject what a waste.

I second the vote to give it to Rachel at least we'd get a sandwich out of the deal.

[hollyvk]

Originally Posted by meownsmile

Ask any nurse, they know why there is a "shortage", that would save them the 10M they say they will spend. By the way,, my guess is most of that will go to someone's wages in the form of "administrative" costs.

The $10M is being distributed in $250,000 grants to non-profit foundations that come up with proposals for programs to alleviate the nursing shortage (the non-profits have to cough up at least $125,00 of their own funds for these projects). SO, yes, some administrative types will probably reap the majority of financial benefits from these programs.

And what pray tell have they come up with as programs? Here are a couple of my favorites:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation (Michigan)
- Nursing for Life: RN Career Transition Program will extend the careers of experienced nurses in Michigan, by developing a transition/training program into non-acute care settings, such as long-term care, home care, hospice, and ambulatory care. (Yes, we will have RNs with walkers working in 2020).

St. James Healthcare Foundation (Montana)
- Academy of Advanced Nursing Workforce Solutions will provide nursing students a career success skills program in order to retain them in the nursing workforce in Montana. (And this will involve hypnosis maybe? Repeat to yourself, "I love my job" 50 time a day.)

I think the best outcome for the $10M will be funding programs to help with addressing the shortage of nursing instructors willing to work for current salaries. (Pay them more! You don't see this problem with programs for pharmacist or engineer training.)

HollyVK, RN, BSN, JD

[multicollinearity]

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[Heather, R.N.]

Take the 10 mill and spend it on raises or scholarships. But first pay off my student loans!

[Indy]

"Nursing for life" eh? Funny stuff. How about using that money to pay full benefit packages for nurses over the age of (insert arbitrary age here... 50 maybe??)... while requiring them to work two instead of three days a week (I'm thinking in 12 hour shifts). That'd help retain some experienced nurses at the bedside. It would be a nice change from the attitude of wearing a nurse out like an old horse.

You could always just pay for more nurses, too... better ratios would be one of the best uses of that money.

[cinja]

Originally Posted by hyperstudent

They can give me the 10 million and I will tell them what is up and how to fix it!

I will even go as far as to buy everyone lunch while I put on my presentation!



Rachel

With 10mil it better be Morton's for lunch.

[mvanz9999]

Originally Posted by hollyvk

The Northwest Health Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have allocated $10M to study the nursing shortage.
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver...2000%5E1348314

Do you think this will have any real impact for improving nurses' wages and benefits, or working conditions?

RN, BSN, JD
Denver CO

pffffffffffft! No. This has been done 10x over. The issue is not "what are the problems", the issue is "what are you doing to fix it?"

And the answer is "nothing". They aren't going to fix it, because they don't need to. The only way this can change is if the nursing profession simply takes a stand. If they refuse to work for X wages under X conditions with X patient loads.

Unfortunately there is no real way to make this happen. Except perhaps time. It would have to be ALL nurses taking a stand. It just kills me that someone continues to fund study after study after study.

I've got a friend in the PICU who is on a committee studying WHY there is such high nurse turn over. Read the above, give me the $10M, and start putting things in place to FIX the problem.

[oramar]

What a waste of money. Just come to allnurse and ask us about the problem. Read any of the 10,000 post called "Nursing Shortage".

[Dorito]

Originally Posted by txspadequeen921

I have not read the article but we already know there is a shortage .Why not use that 10 M and hire more teachers to get more nurses graduated and ready to work.

I couldn't agree more. When I signed up for my license renewal they had all the WI nurses complete a survey about why they felt there was a nursing shortage. Hopefully they gained a little information from that and will use it to improve the situation. Many nursing students in my area have completed all their nursing pre-reqs but are on long waiting lists to get into schools.