News Release Center for Nursing Foundation
The year 2020 was designated as the “Year of the Nurse” by The World Health Organization (WHO) long before the COVID-19 pandemic. “Year of the Nurse” correlates with the 200th birthday of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale (born May 12, 1820, who is credited with the world’s original method of documenting and studying how infections spread. Influenced by her work, nurses continue to be concerned about the spread of communicable illness and infection, and work unwaveringly toward prevention and recovery on behalf of their patients and communities.
But there is a critical shortage of nurses nationwide, and the state of Nebraska is not immune.
Currently, Nebraska is understaffed by 4,062 nurses, and that number is projected to increase to 5,436 in the year 2025, according to statistics from the Nebraska Center for Nursing. Data from licensing renewal surveys indicate the total number of Registered Nurses (RNs) working in Nebraska is 23,754 which includes 1,784 Advanced Practical Registered Nurses (APRNs, with an additional 5,004 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). There are five Nebraska counties with no RNs or LPNs, and six different counties that report having only one RN. The average age of both working RNs and LPNs is 45.
Nurses provide care in many settings: urban and rural hospitals, clinics, hospice programs, home health, public health, out-patient centers, population health, hematology and oncology, k-12 education, colleges and universities, skilled care and nursing home facilities, behavioral health, industry, rehabilitation facilities, mental health wellness, telehealth, parishes, research institutions, institutional review boards, academia for health science programs, and insurance companies to name just a few. Recruiting new nurses and retaining the current nursing staff is vital for the prevention of illness and the overall healthcare of our state. The concern is heightened as nurses and their families risk their own lives to care for those infected with COVID-19.
Wednesday, May 6, is National Nurses’ Day, and while many nurses may be unable to pause their crucial work to celebrate, The Nebraska Center for Nursing Foundation (NCFN) is determined to support our state’s nursing workforce.
The Nebraska Center for Nursing Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that has been working diligently in to support the growth of nursing in the state. After 20 years, it is time for this organization to ask both nurses and the public to show their caring support for those in the nursing field, a role essential to individual and community well-being.
The Foundation has a newly created Nebraska Nurse License Plate to honor the importance of nurses in our state and to create a resource to recruit and retain nurses in the workforce. Any Nebraskan can apply to be among the first citizens to proudly display the license plate on their vehicle.
The support of all nursing careers is vital for the prevention of illness and the overall healthcare of our state. The time seems very fitting as nurses and their families are putting their lives on the line during the current pandemic.