Hospitals also try to contend with competition for high-paying jobs. Among the standard benefits St. Mary s offer to nurses, Brown said the hospital also could soon start a child care program to meet the needs of working mothers on-staff. We feel like our benefits are really generous, but you ve got to be able to focus on the young women and help them recognize the opportunities that are available to them, Brown said. Welch said the Nevada Hospital Association formed a task force last year to address the nursing shortage in the state. He said they hope to sponsor a forum early next year that would allow educators, legislators and healthcare agencies to discuss ways to make nursing more attractive.
Hospitals can t deal with it by themselves.
No other organization can. Critical care nursing units like those at Washoe Med and Sunrise also rely on traveling nurses. Some stay because they like the area. He said expanding the student population depends upon teacher availability. The association also has proposed a partnership program with state and local agencies to increase the numbers of instructors at universities by 16 in the next five years.