Thursday, September 04, 2008

R.I.'s Nursing Shortage


Here is the Projo's take on a "A special commission created this year by the Rhode Island Senate has begun a comprehensive study of a projected nursing shortage, attempting to determine what actions are needed to ensure that the state’s nursing-education programs have the capacity to enroll and graduate a sufficient number of nurses to meet increasing demands."

For crying out loud, for how many years have the local universities/colleges been asking for more $ to pay teachers more to attract them here? A few. For how many years have their been waiting lists for nursing programs? A few.


And whose budgets have been repeatedly cut or frozen? Well, the local universities and colleges who have nursing programs. Forming a commission for a duh! moment? How about some moola? How about schools that are truly affordable that cater to residents?

It's a 15 member commission but I see no one locally on it (but then, I don't know everyone). Their report is due the end of Jan. It will be interesting in seeing what happens with it. Hopefully with my fingers crossed, it will fare better than the fair school formula commission. That was a big bust, wasn't it?

Nursing is hard work- my husband's mother was a nurse for many years. She worked in Newport Hospital in obstetrics (she knows every baby born in the early 50's) and then operated her own nursing home. If you don't already realize that there is a nursing shortage, you haven't spent any time in a hospital or nursing home lately, have you? Of course, these two entities also employ few and work them overtime to cut costs. I want them unionized and I want them complaining LOUDLY when they think that there are problems, just like I want teachers doing the same.

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