R.I. group joins effort to end nursing shortage

CRANSTON – Rhode Island’s Center for Health Professions, a collaborative effort by health care providers, labor, professional groups, colleges and policymakers to strengthen the state’s health care work force, has joined a national initiative to address the nursing shortage.
The center is one of 12 state teams selected to receive technical assistance to find ways to increase the number of students going through college nursing programs across the nation that last year turned away 99,000 qualified applicants, many due to faculty shortages.
In Rhode Island, a shortage of 6,500 nurses is projected by 2020 as a growing elderly population boosts demand for health care services and veteran nurses continue to retire.
As part of this new project, sponsored by the Center to Champion Nursing in America, Rhode Island and teams from 11 other states will join 18 teams already working on policy changes, new partnerships and collaborations, and other efforts. They will get grant-writing support, monthly conference calls and access to a repository of available data, innovations and best practices, other relevant information and funding sources. &#8226