California senate considers nursing shortage

BARSTOW - The state's nursing shortage has made its way to the California State Senate in Sacramento.

Two bills aimed at bolstering the number of nursing instructors in California's community colleges passed the Senate Education Committee last week, according to State Senator Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield. Ashburn, who represents Barstow, stated that increasing the number of nursing instructors at the college level will provide more nurses to California's overburdened health care system.

Senate Bill 1620 will allow more part-time nursing instructors at community colleges. Current law caps the number of part time instructors, but the bill will exempt the nursing faculty, according to Ashburn's office. Many nurses earn more in practice than as instructors, and the bill will allow more to practice and teach.

The other bill, Senate Bill 1621 will extend student loan forgiveness to experienced registered nurses who are willing to teach as well. Currently, the state will assume a portion of college debt for current students and recent graduates who plan on teaching.

Ken Eaves, director of vocational programs at Barstow Community College, said bills focused on getting more instructors at the community college level would be a plus for the college's fledgling nursing program. The program, proposed last year, would shorten some of the waiting lists at other nearby nursing programs. Eaves, who will supervise the program, said the college is in the final stages of completing its feasibility study before the proposal heads to the college board. He said the nursing and instructor shortage could be an issue in the final decision to move forward.

"That is one of the problems that may preclude us," Eaves said. "It may come down that we just can't make it work. ... Since there is a shortage of everything."

The program, if ushered through the approval process, is still about a year and half away from starting, Eaves said. Even with the current shortage, Eaves was confident the college would find a solution.

Progress has been made in some areas. According to David Zook, a spokesman for San Bernardino County 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, the college and Barstow Community Hospital met last week to work out an agreement for clinical sites and the college and the Veterans Home of California in Barstow have come to an agreement on using the home's space for the courses.

Both BCH and the veteran's home have not been grossly affected by the shortage across the state. John Rader, a spokesman for BCH, said the hospital meets the nurse to patient ratios set by the state. Jaime Todd, the administrator at the veteran's home, said the home is currently overstaffed but is not at full capacity.

California’s nursing shortage
• Even with more than 275,000 registered nurses, California will be nearly 110,000 short by 2010.
• California ranks 49th in the nation for number of registered nurses per person at 585 nurses per 100,000 people. The national average is 798 registered nurses per 100,000 people.
• About 5,000 students graduate from pre-registered nurse licensing programs each year. About 4,700 of those become licensed. In order to meet the demand as the California population grows, the state will have to double the number of nursing graduates within the next five years.
Source: The California Hospital Association

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