Shortage of Nurses

The March 2 article accurately portrayed the plight of beleaguered school nurses throughout our state. The California Board of Registered Nursing is completing an evaluation with recommendations regarding the often dangerous situations school nurses are placed in when school districts use unlicensed personnel to provide care for children with highly technical needs. School districts are required under Prop. 98 to report the number of hours counselors and janitors are on campuses but are not required to report the hours of school nursing available to students. Legislation (SB 305) is currently pending in the state Assembly to require hours of school nurse availability to be reported by each school district along with other data.

California lacks nurses in general. Nursing is a difficult career whether you work in schools, in hospitals, in homes or in long-term care. Advances in medical technology have prolonged life. Treatment requires significant scientific knowledge and technical skill. The average age of RNs in our state is 45; there is no next generation in the pipeline to care for our aging population. California ranks 50th in the number of RNs per population. Despite that, the state university system turned away over 800 qualified applicants to CSU nursing programs. The community college system turned away over 5,000 students.

Sen. Richard Polanco, chair of the state Senate Business and Professions Committee, held a hearing March 2 and challenged the California State University system to be responsive to the needs of Californians, and we need RNs. The public must demand that adequate funding be made available to ensure that there are adequate numbers of educated RNs to provide safe care.

CATHERINE DODD MS, RN

American Nurses Assn. of Calif.

San Francisco