Nursing Career Center of Connecticut, Inc.

1. Nursing Career Center of Connecticut, Inc. Founding Sponsors Connecticut League for Nursing Connecticut Nurses’ Association Purpose of Center To provide a comprehensive network of services and resources that promotes and supports recruitment, career management, and professional advancement for Connecticut Nurses.

2. Why is such a Center needed? • Serious nursing shortage, unlike any experienced in the past, is predicted for 2002 to 2015 • Shortage will be caused by an increased demand for RNs in the face of a decreased supply • Must mount a proactive program now to recruit and retain nurses to avert a crisis

3. Demand Factors - National • An aging population • New treatments and technologies to prolong life • Increasing severity of illness of inpatients and outpatients and their needs for highly skilled care • Increasing attention focused on quality

4. Demand Factors - Connecticut • The population in CT is aging more rapidly than any other part of the country with the exception of the sunbelt area • The demand for highly skilled care created by new treatments and technologies and the increased acuity levels of inpatients and outpatients is exerting as strong an influence in CT as in the rest of the country

5. Supply Factors - National • Population of RNs is aging (average age in 1996 was 44.3) (Sample Survey, 1996) • Estimated that half of older RNs will leave the workforce in the next 10-20 years • Enrollment in entry level nursing programs is declining • Number of new graduates cannot compensate for the loss of older RNs leaving the profession

6. Supply Factors - Connecticut • Average age of nurses in CT is higher than the national average – 45.1 vs. 42.3 (CIC, 1998) • Only 78.1%` of CT nurses are employed vs. 82.7% nationally (CIC, 1998) • RN graduations were down 16% in 1999 (619 vs. 742 in 1998) (DPH, 2000) • Newly granted LPN licenses were down 7% in 1999 (347 vs. 373 in 1998) (DPH, 2000)

7. Supply Factors – Connecticut(Cont.) • Current Capacity in all CT RN programs is 875 graduates/year (DPH, 2000) • This capacity has not been utilized in the last two years • Attrition rates in some programs average 30% or more • A lack of diversity exists in the workforce

8. Supply Factors – Connecticut(Cont.) • Vacancy rates in CT hospitals averaged 7-8% in 1999 up from 3-4% in 1997 (CHA, 2000) – Rate reported recently 10-12% • Vacancy rates for specialty areas are over 10% (CHA, 2000) • Currently, CT ranks 38th in the nation in RN per 1,000 population (OHCA, 2000)

9. Priority Goal – Recruitment • Lag time from recruitment to graduation can be as long as 2-5 years • Urgent that recruitment begin now to have an impact on the peak of the shortage • Actions to address other goals will be phased in when plans for recruitment are established

10. Why a New Corporation? • Seriousness of problem requires the focused concentration of a dedicated staff • Neutrality • In the future the Center can continue the workforce analysis initiated by Colleagues in Caring • Can serve as a centralized repository of workforce data

11. Overall Goals and Objectives • To facilitate the recruitment of talented individuals into the profession of nursing • To promote career satisfaction among professional nurses in Connecticut • To facilitate the career advancement of professional nurses

12. Issues Influencing Recruitment • There is a pervasive public impression that nursing staffs are suffering downsizing and layoffs • Nursing is not listed among the “hot jobs” in recent lay publications • Potential students have choices from a wider array of occupations than in the past • Nursing salaries have not kept pace with those of other disciplines

13. Recruitment Action Plan • An operating infrastructure for start-up of the Center had been established • Interim Executive Director • Office and communication systems of Center established - housed at CNA in-kind space • Appoint advisory committee representative of the stakeholders

14. Recruitment Action Plan (Cont.) • Recruit a cadre of male and female, culturally diverse students to enter the nursing profession form the following target groups: • Middle and high school students • LPNs • CNAs

15. Recruitment Action Plan (Cont.) • Conduct the following activities: • Design age appropriate materials • Recruit actively employed nurses to participate as speakers and mentors for shadowing programs • Collaborate with coordinators of high school, school-to-work programs, and guidance counselors

16. Recruitment Action Plan (Cont.) • Organize shadowing programs throughout the state • Connect RNs as mentors for prospective students • Participate at career days to reach 6,000 students • Conduct recruitment and educational counseling sessions in employment settings for LPNs and CNAs

17. Recruitment Action Plan (Cont.) • Conduct annual seminars for guidance counselors to provide up-to-date information about nursing as a career • Conduct formative and summative evaluation of all activities • Track enrollments and graduations • Continue to develop financial sponsorship for the Center

18. Sponsorship of Center • CLN and CNA • Financial support • Space • In-kind volunteer service • Coordinate fund-raising efforts • Leadership on the Board • Nursing and health care community • Grant funding