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A new coalition has formed to tackle the nursing shortage that plagues the state, offering legislation that aims to address the major issues fueling the problem.
Creative Commons photo by denn via Flickr
The nursing shortage itself is nothing new. As The Iowa Independent reported in its ongoing series on rural health care, industry experts have known for some time that workforce problems have existed that likely need to be addressed through public policy. In particular, a workforce bottleneck exists in the area of nursing educators and clinical training sites.
Kyle Carlson, staff attorney for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, said his organization was able to obtain grants to form a coalition to study the nursing shortage and, ultimately, offer policy changes that could stem the crisis.
“We built a coalition, and that coalition has been working pretty hard, particularly since February, to review what other nursing shortage studies have found,” Carlson said. “Once that group was up to speed with the latest research, a legislative proposal was put together. It’s fairly technical in nature, but it will get the ball rolling and provide some avenues for addressing the nursing shortage in the future.”
The proposed legislation, developed by a group that uses the moniker Iowa Needs Nurses Now, takes aim at three specific areas.
First, it proposes a data clearinghouse for workforce information, and then it provides the infrastructure and guidance state agencies will need for revenue flow into the project — even if those specific funding streams don’t yet exist.
“Currently nursing data is collected throughout state government, sort of independently,” Carlson said. “[The Iowa Department of] Public Health does some, [the Department of] Education does some and Workforce Development does some. But, when you collect data in that way, often times there are redundancies built in and the data is not always compatible.”
The proposal also includes creation of a single data pool within Iowa Workforce Development. That agency would be given the authority to go to any other state agency with data and request it for inclusion in one, cohesive report.
“When we get to that point, we will be better able to see what we have, what is missing and have a much better idea on how to proceed,” he said.
Knowing that any new budget appropriations will be difficult to obtain in Iowa’s current fiscal climate, the bill does not specifically request funds. It does, however, lay the foundation for how money will flow when and if money becomes available.
“Basically, this language allows for money to be appropriated or deposited into the fund for this specific purpose,” Carlson said. “Then, if there is money, the delegated department will further develop and administer the program accordingly. This, in essence, just lays the pipe for the future.”
Two specific programs that would benefit from this foundation are a proposed nursing educator scholarship program and nursing clinical infrastructure account. Both would eventually be used to expand the areas industry experts agree are major contributors to the nursing shortage. One would offer scholarship assistance to individuals who seek higher degrees and serve as educators for other nurses, and the other would support existing and possibly create new environments where nurses can hone their clinical skills.
Because a lack of educators has forced at least 500 nursing students to be turned away each year from Iowa’s existing nursing programs, the legislation proposes that incentives be provided for 50 new nurse educators. The state would pay tuition in exchange for a four year commitment to teach at an Iowa nursing program. Also, advanced degrees would become more accessible to students across the state through supported programs like the University of Iowa‘s cohort program that makes advanced classes available at community colleges.
Although key individuals from government agencies, the health industry and Iowa’s educational institutions have come together to craft and promote the legislation, it remains to be seen if lawmakers will also be willing to put their ideological differences aside during an election year to support the bill.
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