In 2003, Hawai‘i passed legislation establishing the Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing (the Center), housed within the University of Hawai‘i at Ma¯noa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene. The Center is charged with (1) collecting and analyzing statewide nursing workforce data, (2) conducting research on best practices and quality outcomes and (3) developing reports and recommendations on their findings. The Center’s efforts build upon previous work by the Community Initiative on Nursing of Hawai‘i (CINH), funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which since 1997 has conducted a bi-annual survey of RNs living in Hawai‘i assessing supply characteristics such as age, ethnicity, education, and retirement plans. The Center is a major milestone, providing the infrastructure needed to bridge the various worlds of practice, policy, and research to support strategic, statewide workforce development. In addition to the Center, the Hawai‘i state legislature created a nursing education loan program in 2003 granting $10,000 per student per year from a special fund.
Efforts on the part of providers and educators are also underway. CINH and the Hawai‘i Area Health Education Center, in an effort to build interest in nursing as a career among youth, have distributed coloring books titled “What do nurses do?” to primary schools and a video, aimed at youth underrepresented in nursing, to high schools. Nursing educators have established accelerated baccalaureate nursing programs for students who already have a bachelors degree and have completed nursing prerequisites. These programs graduate future nurses in 18 months, instead of the traditional 4-year timetable. And, in May 2004, Queen’s Medical Center announced a $2.5 million endowment to expand the Queen Emma Nursing Institute, established in 1981. The institute will focus on training and practice strategies to develop a qualified nursing workforce. |
