ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
caregiver and resource
expansion program
Requires universities,
hospitals and healthcare organizations 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 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 2003-2004. Any fiscal impact to the state general fund
for FY 2004-2005 through FY 2006-2007 is unknown at this time.
1. Requires public and private universities 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 nursing programs at state public universities.
c.
Encourage
private educational institutions to increase capacity of existing nursing
programs.
d.
For
FY 2003-2004:
i.
Target
nursing education program enrollment expansion of 100 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.
v.
Require
the plan to base the obligation for universities to expand enrollment
consistent with the level of resources committed by hospitals.
e.
For
FY 2004-2005 through FY 2006-2007:
i. Require the
expansion of nursing education programs by 100 students each year.
ii. Require
the Arizona Board of Regents 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.
Amendments
Adopted by Committee
1. Requires the plan for FY 2003-2004 to base the obligation for expanded enrollment by universities consistent with the level of resources committed by hospitals.
2. Delays plan dates one year.
3. Eliminates references to community colleges.
4. Reduces the nursing education program enrollment expansion from 200 to 100 new students.
Senate Action
ED 3/14/02 DPA 4-3-1
Prepared by Senate Staff
March 15, 2002