Granite State facing shortage of nurses

BUSINESS. I’M FRED KOCHER. NEW HAMPSHIRE REPORTEDLY RANKS FIRST AMONG THE NEW ENGLAND STATES IN NURSING JOBS THAT ARE OPEN PER CAPITA. THERE ARE 2000 OPENINGS FOR REGISTERED NURSES AND LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE THROUGH 2026, AND THAT COMES FROM A REPORT AT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY. HERE ARE THE NUMBERS BROKEN DOWN NURSE OPENINGS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE THROUGH 2026. REGISTERED NURSES, 906. LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES 1169. THE REASONS AGING NURSE WORKFORCE, HIGH TURNOVER RATES, HOUSING, EDUCATION CONSTRAINTS AND WITH ME TO DESCRIBE THE NURSING SHORTAGE FACING NEW HAMPSHIRE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND THEIR PATIENTS, IS REGISTERED NURSE CARLENE FERRIER, WHO HOLDS THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE AND IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE NURSES ASSOCIATION. WELCOME, CARLENE. NICE TO HAVE YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT ONE OF MY MOST PASSIONATE TOPICS. I KNOW IT’S PASSIONATE WITH YOU. IN FACT, YOU EVEN TAUGHT IT FOR A WHILE AT UNH. I UNDERSTAND, BUT ANYHOW, YOU HAVE THIS BROAD VIEW OF THE STATE IN TERMS OF HEALTH CARE. SO HOW SERIOUS IS THE NURSING SHORTAGE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE RIGHT NOW? IF YOU JUST TAKE A LOOK AT ANY OF THE HOSPITALS OR HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS AND CLICK ON THE CAREERS, YOU’LL SEE A LONG LIST OF NURSE POSITIONS THAT ARE OPEN AND VACANT. THE NURSING SHORTAGE IS A PROBLEM AND CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS IS THAT UPWARDS OF 30% OF NEW GRAD NURSES, THAT’S NURSES WHO ARE HAVE JUST GRADUATED WITHIN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF WORKING. THEY LEAVE THE PROFESSION. WHAT WHAT’S THE IMPACT INSIDE THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW OR INSIDE THE NURSING HOME? THE ACTUAL IMPACT OF NOT ENOUGH NURSES, THE ACTUAL IMPACT MEANS THAT NURSES ARE CARING FOR MORE PATIENTS. SO THERE HAVE BEEN MANY SURVEYS DONE RECENTLY LOOKING AT NURSES IN THE ICU AND THE EMERGENCY ROOM WHO ARE CARING FOR PATIENTS 4 TO 1 RATIO, WHICH SHOULD REALLY BE A 2 TO 1 RATIO. AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN NURSES ARE CARING FOR MANY MORE PATIENTS THAN THEY’RE ABLE TO IS THEY’RE NOT PROVIDING THE CARE THAT THEY NEED, AND THAT CREATES A DISCONNECT THAT THAT CAUSES MORAL DISTRESS IN NURSES. AND AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SHORTAGES IN OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONS, TOO. AND HERE THEY ARE, THE PHYSICAL THERAPIST, 12.3%. RESPIRATORY THERAPISTS, 23.6%. THESE ARE THE SHORTAGES. RADIOLOGY TECHNOLOGIST, 16.6%. AND MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN, 18.8%. AND HERE’S A QUOTE FROM THE COMMISSIONER OF NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. SHE SAYS WHILE RECRUITMENT HAS INCREASED, THE HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE SHORTAGE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE PERSISTS AND THE LABOR MARKET REMAINS INCREDIBLY COMPETITIVE. CHARLENE, WHAT’S BEING DONE TO FIX THE SHORTAGE? I KNOW WE HAVE COLLEGES THAT ARE NURSING GRADUATES THAT ARE COMING OUT OF COLLEGES. WE HAVE TRAVELING NURSES, BUT IT DOESN’T SEEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM. NEW HAMPSHIRE IS DOING A GREAT JOB IN MANY AREAS TO IMPROVE THE NURSING SHORTAGE. SO WE HAVE SOME EXEMPLARS THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT. SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE AHEC REALLY IS FOCUSED ON THE K TO 12 PIPELINE, SO THEY FOCUS ON GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE NURSING PROFESSION AND HAVING AN INTEREST IN A NURSING CAREER. WE DO A GREAT JOB AT THAT. THAT’S RECRUITMENT. THEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE TWO LARGE SCHOOLS, UNH AND SAINT AMES, HAVE NEARLY DOUBLED THEIR SEATS FOR NURSING STUDENTS. WE’RE DOING A GREAT JOB. THERE, PRODUCING NURSES. WE HAVE ANOTHER EXEMPLAR, ELLIOTT HOSPITAL IS PARTNERED WITH CMC AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR GRANITE STATE PARTNERS TO GIVE MORE ACCESS TO NURSES AND PROVIDE WRAPAROUND SUPPORT SO THAT THEY CAN STAY IN NURSING. RETENTION IS A PROBLEM, ISN’T IT? RETENTION IS A PROBLEM. CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM FOR MANY, MANY ISSUES ARE ARE RELATED TO THE RETENTION PROBLEM. NOW, ANOTHER SUBJECT, AS YOU KNOW, THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION IN WASHINGTON HAS CHANGED THE WHAT CONSTITUTES A NURSING PROFESSION DEGREE. AND THAT HAS SET A NEW LIMIT ON FUNDING FOR EDUCATION AT ABOUT 20,000 A YEAR. WHAT’S YOUR REACTION TO THAT? THAT’S A HOT TOPIC RIGHT NOW. SO THINK ABOUT ALL THE NURSES WHO TAKE CARE OF YOU WITH ADVANCED DEGREES. NURSE PRACTITIONERS, NURSE ANESTHESIOLOGISTS, CLINICAL NURSE, SPECIALISTS, NURSE PROFESSORS, RESEARCHERS, ALL NURSES WITH ADVANCED DEGREES. SO ALL OF THOSE NURSES ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THE LOAN. AND CHARLENE FERRIER, WE’