ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
caregiver and resource
expansion program
Requires colleges and
universities to create a caregiver and resource expansion (CARE) program to
increase the number of nurses in the State.
According to the Arizona
Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA), for every eight registered nurses
who retire, three graduate from Arizona nursing schools in the State. Additionally, the AzHHA maintains the
capacity in Arizona’s nursing schools has remained static for ten years and
nursing faculty salaries are noncompetitive when compared to hospital
salaries. Finally, the AzHHA estimates
the average hospital vacancy rate for registered nurses is 16 percent and
Arizona will have a shortage of 434,000 nurses by 2020.
Currently, there are 20
registered nurse education programs in Arizona offering associate,
baccalaureate, masters or doctorate degrees that graduate approximately 1,000
students per year. All three state
universities have student waiting lists for entrance into school nursing
programs.
S.B. 1154 attempts to
address the shortage of practicing nurses in Arizona by requiring a public and
private partnership between colleges, universities, hospitals and healthcare
organizations to develop a five-year CARE program to increase the number of
persons graduating from Arizona’s nursing programs from 1,000 to 2,000 by FY
2006-2007. The CARE program requires
the Arizona Board of Regents and the State Board of Directors for Community
Colleges to develop a plan for budget requests to cover costs associated with
the expansion of nursing education programs.
There is no discernible
fiscal impact to the state general fund for FY 2002-2003. Any fiscal impact to the state general fund
for FY 2003-2004 through FY 2006-2007 is unknown at this time.
1. Requires public and private schools with nursing education programs, hospitals and healthcare organizations to develop a five-year CARE program as a five-year plan to increase the number of nurses in Arizona’s nursing education programs.
2. Requires the CARE program to include plans to:
a.
Increase,
by the end of academic year 2006-2007, the number of graduates from nursing
education programs to 2,000 persons.
b.
Increase
the capacity of baccalaureate and associate nursing programs at state public
universities and community colleges.
c.
Encourage
private educational institutions to increase capacity of existing nursing
programs.
d.
For
FY 2002-2003:
i.
Target
nursing education program enrollment expansion of 200 new students.
ii.
Have
no fiscal impact to the State.
iii.
Require
a commitment from hospitals to provide voluntary or private funding for
clinical rotations and adjunct faculty for nursing programs.
iv.
Require
a commitment from a hospital association to serve as a program coordinator and
develop a student recruitment program.
e.
For
FY 2003-2004 through FY 2006-2007:
i. Require the
expansion of nursing education programs by 200 students each year.
ii. Require
the Arizona Board of Regents and the State Board of Directors for Community
Colleges to make budget recommendations for costs to expand nursing education
programs.
iii. Require hospitals to provide expanded
opportunities for clinical rotations.
iv. Require a
hospital association to continue a voluntary student recruitment
program for nurse and healthcare professions.
3. Repeals this act on January 1, 2008.
4. Provides for a general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Staff
January 29, 2002