With nearly 39,000 nurses in Alabama expected to leave the profession in the next four years, the Alabama Board of Nursing discussed several topics Monday that they hope will recruit more nurses ahead of the looming workforce exodus.
Among the topics discussed included expanding an incentive program for nurse educators and revamping the Alabama Community College System’s Concept Based Nursing Curriculum, which was last updated in 2016.
A proposal in Illinois would limit the number of patients nurses can care for at once.
The Safe Patient Limits Act (HB2604) provides the maximum number of patients that may be assigned to a registered nurse in specified situations. The bill also allows a facility to assignfewer patients to a registered nurse than the limits provided in the Safe Patient Limits Act. Illinois does not currently have any laws to limit the number of patients a registered nurse can care for at the same time.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) include nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists and play a critical role in healthcare delivery.
APRNs can assess, diagnose, and develop treatment plans, including prescribing medications to patients across the lifespan and various settings.
APRNs must complete an advanced degree, which includes a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). However, this degree does not grant the ability to practice; instead, it allows you to sit for the board certification exam specific to your degree. Once you pass the exam, you must maintain certification and your state APRN and RN license.
March 19 is certified Nurse Appreciation Day, a day to recognize nurses' hard work.
Nurses are on the front line of hospitals, working with patients in their most vulnerable moments.
Assaults on healthcare workers have been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to health officials.
According to Press Ganey, an Indiana-based healthcare company, in 2022, two nurses were assaulted in the workplace every hour across the United States.
Hospitals say AI is helping their nurses work more efficiently while addressing burnout and understaffing. But nursing unions argue that this poorly understood technology is overriding nurses' expertise and degrading the quality of care patients receive.
Hospitals across the state are grappling with a persistent shortage of nurses, straining health care systems and patient care.
And Pennsylvania’s workforce shortage is among the most severe in the nation, with the state potentially looking at a dearth of 20,000 nurses by next year.
In response, as part of his 2025-2026 state budget proposal, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a $5 million program aimed at reversing such dismal projections. The initiative would provide funding to hospitals that partner with nursing schools, reimbursing tuition costs for students who commit to a three-year work placement at Pennsylvania hospitals after graduation.