S1145-2011 Actions

• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO EDUCATION
• Dec 14, 2011: PRINT NUMBER 1145A
• Dec 14, 2011: AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO EDUCATION
• Jan 5, 2011: REFERRED TO EDUCATION

S1145-2011 Memo

 BILL NUMBER:  S1145

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "Nurse
of Tomorrow Act of 2011" to provide for grants to public and
not-for-profit hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, schools and
other entities for nurse recruitment, education and retention costs
and activities


 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :
To create a Nurse of Tomorrow program, modeled after the New York
State Teacher of Tomorrow program enacted last year, designed to help
alleviate the shortage of qualified registered nurses in hospitals and
nursing homes. The bill would provide various incentives to encourage
current registered nurses to remain in the profession and students to
enter the profession.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :
Amends the Education Law by adding a new section 3613 to provide for
the Nurse of Tomorrow recruitment, education and retention incentive
program. Authorizes the commissioner to award grants to public and
not-for-profit hospitals and skilled nursing facilities to provide:
salary bonuses for nurses who make a commitment to work in the
hospital or skilled nursing facility for a multi-year period, and who
have not been practicing nursing for a period of at least five years;
skills training and career development of nurses to become certified
in clinical specialty areas experiencing shortages in hospitals or
skilled nursing facilities; grants to encourage nurses to upgrade
their skills to enable them to work in clinical specialty areas
experiencing shortages; salary bonuses for non-management nurses who
recruit nurses that stay employed at the hospital or skilled nursing
facility for at least one year; and other nurse retention and
recruitment strategies approved by the commissioner. Provides for the
commissioner to give preference to public and not-for-profit hospitals
and skilled nursing facilities applicants in financial need as
demonstrated by low or negative operating margins, and to enter into
contracts with associate degree-granting schools of nursing, including
but not limited to single-purpose degree granting institutions
affiliated with not-for-profit or public hospitals, for the purpose of
expanding the number of students who are provided basic nurse
education at such schools; and provides for the commissioner to give
preference to applicants that have demonstrated the ability to recruit
and create a multicultural student body; provides remedial education
to help students with diverse needs.

 JUSTIFICATION :
In recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that the nation
is suffering from the shortage of nurses. This problem affects all
areas, especially the urban and rural regions.  The American
Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reported that enrollments in
bachelor's degree nursing programs have declined consistently over the
past five years nationwide, dropping 4.6% in 1999 alone with
enrollments dropping even more precipitously in the Northeast. As far
back as 1996, before the great decline in the number of qualified
nurses was noted, the National Advisory Council on Nursing Education
and Practice (NACNEP) predicted a shortage of registered nurses (RNs)
beginning around 2010.

The NACNEP further estimated that the shortfall would reach over 10%
of supply by 2020. In New York, a 1999 survey done by the Greater New
York Hospital Association showed high nurse vacancy rates,
particularly in critical care areas, emergency departments, and
operating rooms. In addition, 83% of hospitals reported that more than
a third of the direct care RN workforce is between ages 40 and 49, and
in 50% of he hospitals, more than 20% of the direct care RN workforce
is between ages 50 and 59. These data raise the concern that a large
number of nurses will be retiring in the near future.  Therefore, the
aging workforce and low enrollments of young people in the profession
indicate that the shortage we currently experience will only get
worse.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
2009-10:  S.2542A/A.3575A - Referred to Education
2008-09:  S.1983.A.3993
2006-07:  S.1181/A.4050
2001-02:  A.7730

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
To be determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

S1145-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 
                                         1145
 2011-2012 Regular Sessions
 I N  SENATE
 January 5, 2011
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  PARKER,  BRESLIN,  DIAZ, DUANE, HASSELL-THOMPSON,
 JOHNSON, MONTGOMERY, PERKINS, STAVISKY,  VALESKY  --  read  twice  and
 ordered  printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
 Education
 

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "Nurse of
 Tomorrow Act of 2011" to provide for grants to public and not-for-pro
 fit hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, schools and other  entities
 for nurse recruitment, education and retention costs and activities
 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "Nurse of Tomorrow Act of 2011".
 

S 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3613 to read
 as follows:

 

S  3613.  NURSE OF TOMORROW NURSE RECRUITMENT, EDUCATION AND RETENTION
 INCENTIVE PROGRAM.  1. NURSE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION GRANTS.   A.  THE
 COMMISSIONER  SHALL  AWARD GRANTS TO PUBLIC AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT HOSPITALS
 AND SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING SHORTAGES IN  NURS
 ING PERSONNEL TO BE UTILIZED TOWARD THE PAYMENT OF THE FOLLOWING COSTS:

 (I)  PROVIDING SALARY BONUSES FOR NURSES WHO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO WORK
 IN THE HOSPITAL OR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY FOR A MULTI-YEAR PERIOD;
 (II) PROVIDING SALARY BONUSES FOR NURSES WHO HAVE NOT BEEN  PRACTICING
 NURSING FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST FIVE YEARS AND WHO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO
 WORK  IN THE HOSPITAL OR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY FOR A MULTI-YEAR PERI
 OD;
 (III) PROVIDING SKILLS TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT  OF  NURSES  TO
 BECOME  CERTIFIED  IN CLINICAL SPECIALTY AREAS EXPERIENCING SHORTAGES IN
 THE HOSPITAL OR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY;
 (IV) PROVIDING GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE NURSES TO UPGRADE THEIR  SKILLS  TO
 ENABLE  THEM  TO WORK IN CLINICAL SPECIALTY AREAS EXPERIENCING SHORTAGES
 IN THE HOSPITAL OR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY;
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD01737-01-1
 
       S. 1145                             2
 (V) PROVIDING SALARY BONUSES FOR  NON-MANAGEMENT  NURSES  WHO  RECRUIT
 NURSES  THAT  STAY  EMPLOYED AT THE HOSPITAL OR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY
 FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR;
 (VI)  PROVIDING  TUITION  REIMBURSEMENT  FOR  NURSES  WHO PURSUE STUDY
 TOWARDS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN NURSING OR FOR OTHER HEALTH CARE  WORKERS
 WHO PURSUE ASSOCIATE DEGREES IN NURSING;
 (VII)  PROVIDING  STIPENDS  TO  SUPPORT SUMMER INTERNSHIPS FOR STUDENT
 NURSES AT THE HOSPITAL OR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY; AND
 (VIII) OTHER NURSE RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT  STRATEGIES  APPROVED  BY
 THE COMMISSIONER.
 B.  IN  AWARDING GRANTS PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION, THE COMMISSIONER
 SHALL GIVE PREFERENCE TO PUBLIC AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT HOSPITALS AND SKILLED
 NURSING FACILITIES APPLICANTS IN FINANCIAL NEED AS DEMONSTRATED  BY  LOW
 OR NEGATIVE OPERATING MARGINS.
 2.  BASIC NURSE EDUCATION EXPANSION GRANTS.  A. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL
 AWARD GRANTS TO AND ENTER INTO CONTRACTS WITH ASSOCIATE  DEGREE-GRANTING
 SCHOOLS  OF NURSING INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SINGLE-PURPOSE DEGREE
 GRANTING INSTITUTIONS AFFILIATED WITH NOT-FOR-PROFIT  OR  PUBLIC  HOSPI
 TALS,  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF  EXPANDING  THE  NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE
 PROVIDED BASIC NURSE EDUCATION AT SUCH SCHOOLS.
 B. IN AWARDING GRANTS PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION,  THE  COMMISSIONER
 SHALL GIVE PREFERENCE TO APPLICANTS THAT:

 (I)  HAVE  DEMONSTRATED  THE ABILITY TO RECRUIT AND CREATE A MULTICUL
 TURAL STUDENT BODY;
 (II) PROVIDE REMEDIAL EDUCATION TO HELP STUDENTS  WITH  DIVERSE  NEEDS
 AND  BACKGROUNDS  TO MASTER THE LANGUAGE, READING AND MATHEMATICS SKILLS
 NECESSARY TO ATTAIN A LICENSE;
 (III) PROVIDE THE COMMISSIONER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH  WITH  A
 PLAN  TO RECRUIT NURSE AIDES, LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES AND OTHER HEALTH
 CARE WORKERS;
 (IV) PROVIDE THE COMMISSIONER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF  HEALTH  WITH  A
 PLAN  TO  BUILD  TECHNOLOGICALLY  MODERN  CLASSROOMS AND LABORATORIES TO
 ENABLE STUDENTS TO LEARN THE  LATEST  TECHNOLOGIES  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED TO, MEDICAL ERROR REDUCTION TECHNOLOGIES; AND
 (V)  PROVIDE  THE  COMMISSIONER  AND THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH WITH A
 DETAILED PLAN TO SUBSTANTIALLY EXPAND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN
 THE SCHOOL OVER A FOUR-YEAR PERIOD.
 3. NURSE EDUCATION ENCOURAGEMENT GRANTS.  THE COMMISSIONER SHALL AWARD
 GRANTS TO  COLLEGIATE  SCHOOLS  OF  NURSING,  ASSOCIATE  DEGREE-GRANTING
 SCHOOLS  OF  NURSING,  DIPLOMA-GRANTING  SCHOOLS OF NURSING, HOSPITAL OR
 OTHER PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, NOT-FOR-PROFIT OR PUBLIC HOSPITALS  AND
 SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES TO ENABLE SUCH ENTITIES TO WORK TOGETHER WITH
 SCHOOL  DISTRICT  AUTHORITIES TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS TO ENCOURAGE SECONDARY
 SCHOOL STUDENTS TO CHOOSE NURSING AS A PROFESSION.
 

S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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