08-R216

2008 -- S 2955

Enacted 05/08/08

S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL SENATE COMMISSION TO UNDERTAKE A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE PROJECTED NURSING SHORTAGE IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

Introduced By: Senators Doyle, Issa, Tassoni, Connors, and Bates

Date Introduced: April 10, 2008

     WHEREAS, Hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health providers, and physician’s

offices around the state of Rhode Island report having serious difficulties recruiting, hiring, and

retaining qualified nurses; and

     WHEREAS, Both nationwide and within the state of Rhode Island there is already a

severe shortage of qualified nurses, and this shortage is projected to worsen over the next decade;

and

     WHEREAS, Studies have indicated that Rhode Island could face a shortage of up to

1,400 registered nurses in the year 2010 and almost 6,500 registered nurses by the year 2020; and

     WHEREAS, There are several factors believed to be driving the current and projected

shortages, including: (i) insufficient enrollment capacity at institutions offering nursing education

programs; (ii) faculty shortages at institutions offering nursing education programs; (iii) financial

disincentives for nursing professionals to become educators; and (iv) increasing demands for

personnel within the health care industry; and

     WHEREAS, It is critical to increase the number of qualified persons graduating from

Rhode Island’s nursing education programs, and remaining to practice the profession in the state,

in order to avert a critical shortage of nurses in the future; and

     WHEREAS, In 2004, the Rhode Island General Assembly appropriated funds to the three

state schools of nursing to hire faculty members and expand enrollment; and

     WHEREAS, While these appropriations successfully resulted in the hiring of several new

faculty members and the expansion of nursing school enrollment capacity, a critical shortage of

qualified nurses still remains, and is projected to increase, in the state of Rhode Island; and

     WHEREAS, Further study is still needed to determine what actions must be taken to

ensure that Rhode Island’s nursing education programs have the necessary capacity to enroll and

graduate a sufficient number of nurses to meet increasing demand and provide said nurses with

the skills and training necessary to meet the increasingly complex level of care required by

patients; now, therefore, be it

     RESOLVED, That a special Senate commission be and the same is hereby created

consisting of fifteen (15) members: four (4) of whom shall be from the Senate, not more than

three (3) from the same political party to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of

whom shall be the Dean of the School of Nursing at Rhode Island College, or designee; one of

whom shall be the Dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Rhode Island, or designee;

one of whom shall be the Chair of the Department of Nursing at the Community College of

Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the St. Joseph School of Nursing,

or designee; one of whom shall be the Chair of the Department of Nursing at Salve Regina

University, or designee; one of whom shall be the Commissioner of the Office Higher Education,

or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Rhode Island State Nurses

Association, or designee; one of whom shall be a representative of a long term health care

provider in this state, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall be a

representative of the United Nursing and Allied Professionals, to be appointed by the Senate

President; one of whom shall be the Director of Rhode Island Department of Health, or designee;

and one of whom shall be a representative of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, to be

appointed by the Senate President.

     In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory

commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly

resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu

of a legislator, provided that the Majority Leader or the Minority Leader of the political party

which is entitled to the appointment consents to the appointment of the member of the general

public.

     The purpose of said commission shall be to study all aspects and implications related to

the remediation of the projected nursing shortage in the state of Rhode Island including but not

limited to: strategies to increase the number of qualified faculty within Rhode Island nursing

education programs, methods to increase the maximum enrollment capacity within the state

nursing programs, and incentives for individuals to enroll in nursing programs and remain in the

state of Rhode Island upon graduation.

     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at

the call of the President of the Senate and organize, and shall select two co-chairpersons; one of

whom shall be a legislator appointed to the Commission and one of whom shall be a

representative appointed to the Commission from a public institution of higher education.

     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

     All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information,

documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or

desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

     The office of the President of the Senate is hereby authorized and directed to provide

suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

Senate no later than December 31, 2008 and said commission shall expire on January 31, 2009.

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LC02708

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