(TRENTON)—Pledging to improve patient care by attracting additional nurses to the profession, Governor James E. McGreevey today signed legislation, Senate Bill 495, to establish the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing at Rutgers University.

 

“Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system and we need to do all we can to encourage people to enter this rewarding field, because the demand for nurses has never been greater,” said McGreevey. “We have taken action to establish the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing in order attract nurses to the profession and support them in their efforts to provide quality health care in New Jersey.”

 

The New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing is designed to continue the work of the New Jersey Colleagues in Caring Collaborative, which was established in 1996 under a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant with a primary focus of initiating nursing work force development in New Jersey. 

 

AThis is a great day for the future of nursing in New Jersey because we have now committed to a Center dedicated to ensuring a thriving nursing community for our future needs,” said Senator Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), co-chair of the Senate Health Committee. “Nursing students will learn that New Jersey is focused on meeting their educational and financial needs so they can make the career choice to work here. Our health care professions need our continued support and I believe Governor McGreevey=s action today reflects that commitment.

 

“New Jersey is seeing more and more registered nurse positions remain unfilled. As we look toward the future, the nursing shortage will only continue to grow if we do not take the necessary steps now to reverse this alarming trend,” said Senator John Matheussen (R-Camden, Gloucester), co-chair of the Senate Health Committee.  “By establishing the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing at Rutgers, we can thoroughly examine the current issues facing our nursing professionals and find new ways to address these problems.”

 

"As retirement age approaches for baby boomers who entered the nursing field more than 20 years ago, fewer nursing students are graduating to fill the resulting void. Over the last few years, this has created a dangerous nursing shortage that is crippling our healthcare system," said Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), the chairwoman of the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee.  "Members of the governing board will provide professional expertise that will be integral in shaping the center's curriculum. Just as nurses are the backbone of the health care industry, members of this board will be the backbone of the center."

 

"The Collaborative Center for Nursing is just what the doctor ordered to educate, recruit, and retain nurses," said Assemblyman Matt Ahearn (D-Bergen). "This center will remedy the nursing shortage currently jeopardizing the quality of health care and the availability of medical services. Students enrolled at the center will use state-of- the-art medical equipment and learn cutting-edge medical procedures."

 

The primary goals of the Collaborating Center for Nursing also focus on work force development. These goals include creating a strategic plan for the continuing development of an adequately educated and trained nursing workforce; promoting the important contributions of the nursing work force to the health of the State; and providing consultation, technical assistance and information related to nursing resources and serving as a clearinghouse for data related to nursing resources.

 

In addition, the Center aims to foster collaboration among members of the health care community to achieve policy consensus, to promote diversity and to educate nurses and others in health policy and health services research. Finally, the Center will work to ensure competitive funding to enhance the resources available for innovative projects.

 

The NJCCN will be administered by an Executive Director under the direction of a sixteen-member board. Four of the Board’s members will be appointed by the Senate President, four will be appointed by the Assembly Speaker and nine will be appointed by the Governor. The bill requires a majority of members first appointed to the Board to include nurse representatives who were members of the New Jersey Colleagues in Caring Collaborative.

 

According to Colleagues in Caring, the number of entry-level graduating Registered Nurses peaked in 1995. There was a 12% decrease in new RN graduates between 1997 and 1998, and another 12% decrease between 1998 and 1999. It is estimated that New Jersey will have a shortage of nearly 14,000 Registered Nurses in 2006.