Even before the pandemic, there was a growing shortage of registered nurses in the majority of states. From 2020 to 2021, during the height of the pandemic, more than 100,000 registered nurses left the workforce, the largest exodus in at least 40 years. Adding to the problem, in 2019, nursing schools turned away about 80,000 qualified applicants because of too few faculty, clinical sites and preceptors, and the problem persists.  

Our first guest is Dr. Cynthia McCurren, a dean and professor at the School of Nursing of the University of Michigan in Flint. McCurren, who also serves as the board chair of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, discussed the role of nurses in the health care system, a variety of initiatives aimed at increasing the number of qualified faculty, and state and federal efforts to help address the problem. 

Our other guest is Sarah Jaromin from NCSL, who drilled down into a variety of state efforts aimed at increasing the supply of nursing faculty and also where legislators can learn more about different approaches being tried around the country. 

Resources

• Addressing Nursing Shortages: Options for States, (NCSL, 2022) 
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
• National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP)
• National Conference of State Legislatures - Health (NCSL)
• Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet, (AACN, 2020) 
• Preparing Nurse Faculty and Addressing the Shortage of Nurse Faculty and Clinical Preceptors, (NACNEP, 2021)