Panel urges incentives for nursing teachers

PROVIDENCE – A special Senate commission examining the looming shortage of registered nurses in the coming years in Rhode Island is calling for the state to increase the capacity of nursing schools and to offer incentives to attract and retain nursing teachers, among other things.
In a report issued last month, the commission said that Rhode Island faces a projected shortage of more than 1,800 registered nurses by next year, and 6,500 nurses by 2020.
The shortage comes at a time when demand on the state’s health care system is expected to increase dramatically, as the aging baby boom population places additional pressure on an already over-taxed system.
Recommendations include offering tax credits and pay raises for nurses with master’s degrees to teach nursing, and prioritizing capital projects at state colleges that will expand nursing programs. •