States across the country are facing shortages in nursing staff, and some have come up with creative solutions to help address the problem.
Here are four stories Becker's published recently on nurse shortages:
1. Kansas nurses can now earn multistate license
Kansas joined over 30 states July 10 in allowing nurses to obtain a Nurse Licensure Compact, which permits nurses to practice in both their home states and other NLC states. The multistate license helps with nursing shortages and sudden emergencies by allowing nurses to easily transfer their expertise across state lines.
2. Alabama adopts multistate license to help with nursing shortage
Alabama also adopted the NLC after passing a law in April 2019. The law will go into effect on Aug. 1.
3. Federal grant will allow Essentia Health and NDSU to provide NPs to rural hospitals in North Dakota
A new program aims to provide more nurse practitioners to rural hospitals in North Dakota, thanks to a $1.57 million federal grant and a partnership between Essentia Health and North Dakota State University.
4. Texas to face increasing nursing shortage
Meanwhile, Texas is facing the nation's second-highest nursing shortage, with an expected dearth of nearly 16,000 nurses by 2030. The state with the highest shortage is California, expected to be short 45,000 nurses by that same year.