The new center joins more than 40 other state nursing workforce coalitions working to increase the nursing labor pool.
Kansas healthcare has a new ally in efforts to address shortages of nurses and nursing faculty: the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center.
The center, housed at the University of Kansas (KU) School of Nursing, joins more than 40 other state nurse workforce entities engaged in increasing the nursing labor pool to resolve the critical nursing shortage.
"Statistics show how critical the situation is," said Sally L. Maliski, PhD, FAAN, dean of KU School of Nursing. "The Kansas Department of Labor’s 2022 Occupational Outlook report shows that by 2026, we will need more than 28,000 nursing assistants, 18,000 registered nurses, and 6,000 home health aides. Rural Kansas hospitals are facing nursing shortages that could mean hospital closures."
"As we saw the growing crisis of nurse and nurse educator shortages, we knew something had to be done to address this in a unified and collaborative manner. Also, Kansas was one of only 10 states that did not have a nursing workforce center to help address this critical issue for Kansans," she said.
Like other state nursing workforce centers, Kansas will collaborate with employers, schools, professional associations, government agencies, and other stakeholders to strengthen the state’s nursing workforce by examining and analyzing the supply, demand, educational pathways, and demographics of nurses, while also researching methods to develop and sustain the existing nursing workforce.
State nursing workforce centers also educate organizations and policymakers about issues and policies affecting nurses by collecting and analyzing data, publishing reports and relevant information, and recommending changes necessary to resolve the nursing shortage.
The Kansas center’s focus areas are:
- Support how nurses lead in all work settings
- Health and well-being of nurses individually and as part of the care team
- Approaches used to build, sustain, and retain the nursing workforce
- Best practices for optimal patient care experiences
- Optimal ways to deliver improved or new care to patients
The center is currently forming its advisory board and developing nursing data dashboards.
Amy Garcia, DNP, RN, FAAN, associate clinical professor at KU School of Nursing, will be the newest center’s director.
"The Kansas Nursing Workforce Center will do things that matter," Garcia said. "We will help people find their pathway to becoming a nurse. We will develop programs to help nurses find joy in their work. We will study the supply of, and demand for, nurses and provide reports to help communities find and keep the nurses they need. And we will convene schools, employers, associations, and government to find better ideas to strengthen nursing and resolve the ongoing shortage of nurses."
While KU School of Nursing has provided initial financial and operational support, the center will seek additional funding, including research and program grants, to operate.
"People trust nurses to be there when they are sick, injured, or simply trying to be healthy," Garcia said. "Nurses care for us at the beginning and the end of life. Every Kansan should have access to high-quality nursing care, and nurses should have access to the education and support they need to excel in their jobs."
“We will study the supply of, and demand for, nurses and provide reports to help communities find and keep the nurses they need.”
— Amy Garcia, DNP, FAAN, director, Kansas Nursing Workforce Center
Carol Davis is the Nursing Editor at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The new Kansas Nursing Workforce Center joins more than 40 other nurse workforce entities engaged in increasing the nursing labor pool.
The Kansas center will collaborate with employers, schools, and other stakeholders to strengthen the state's nursing workforce.
State nursing workforce centers also recommend changes necessary to resolve the nursing shortage.