By Amy Curtis | March 2024

In this issue:  Nursing is STEM, First Quarter report, March Research recording

This newsletter is 1,258 words long, about a 5-minute read.

Nursing is STEM... Or Is It?

A new coalition, Nursing is STEM recently launched in 2023. Their aim is to officially categorize nursing, both academically and professionally, as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline.

The coalition wants broad adoption by educators, policy makers, healthcare providers, and the public in order to accelerate the growth of the professional nursing workforce.

This category change requires entities like the National Science Foundation, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration to add nursing to the list of what is considered STEM.

It is surprising that nursing is NOT considered a STEM field.

Nursing education teaches foundational STEM elements including, but not limited to: chemistry, biology, microbiology, informatics and technology, statistics, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, and the social and behavioral sciences of sociology, and developmental lifespan psychology.

Why it matters: An official STEM designation could unlock funding sources that are specifically designated for education in STEM-related careers. A STEM designation could help address nursing shortages in clinical and academic settings and position professional nurses for new career opportunities because their knowledge is considered STEM.

What's (potentially) at stake:

Learn more here, here, and here.

Recording: Engaging the C-Suite in Nursing Workforce Planning

Watch a recording of “Engaging the C-Suite in Nursing Workforce Planning” featuring Barbara MacArthur, co-director of the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center and hosted by the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce.

Learn how to:

Watch it now.

Kansas Nursing Workforce Center Q1 Report

Photo illustration of the Topeka Capitol dome.

Amy Garcia and Barbara MacArthur, co-directors of the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center shared the Center’s first quarter report with the Kansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN) at their board meeting March 25, 2024.

Why it matters: The KSBN has a mission to assure the citizens of Kansas safe and competent practice by nurses and mental health technicians, and the Nurse Practice Act which describes protecting the public’s health and welfare by the safe practice of nursing. The Kansas Nursing Workforce Center is a separate organization with a different mission. A complementary and collaborative relationship between the organizations furthers the nursing profession and serves Kansas residents who need nurses.

During the presentation, Amy Garcia let KSBN know that this fall the Center will produce a new biennial report, “The State of Nursing in Kansas”. This report will be a credible source of data and detailed information about nurses in Kansas. The goal of the report is to arm Kansas leaders, decision makers, and communities with new information in order to make informed decisions about the nursing workforce.

Specialty reports that examine specific nursing workforce issues will be published in the off years. Examples of this type of report could include:

These reports will directly meet the request for better nursing workforce information. 

What they're saying: "Health care leaders rely on data to drive decision making, and that is particularly true when it comes to workforce, " said Chad Austin, president and CEO of the Kansas Hospital Association. "Kansas will benefit from having a nursing workforce center provide more robust data to ensure hospitals can build, sustain and retain the nursing workforce in Kansas." 

Read the Center’s quarterly report here.

Catch Up Quick: March Research Committee Meeting

Watch a recording of the March Research Committee meeting where Dr. Rayna Letourneau, Executive Director at the Florida Center for Nursing and an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida College of Nursing, will present her research projects at the Florida Center for Nursing.

Next month, we will hear from Barbara Polivka, PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate Dean for Research, KU School of Nursing. Dr. Polivka will discuss her research project which aims at improving safety for home healthcare workers with a virtual training simulation.

Led by Shin Hye Park, PhD, RN, the Research Committee, facilitates and promotes collaborative nurse research activities across the state.

The committee's goal is to leverage our

Dr. Polivka

research talent to better serve the healthcare community of Kansas, advance the field of nursing and healthcare and strengthen the nursing workforce in Kansas.

The next scheduled meeting is April 25, 2024 from 10-11 a.m.

You can sign up here to receive the meeting link. Please forward to colleagues who may also wish to attend.

Watch it now.

QPR Suicide Prevention Class Available at No Cost

QPR Suicide Prevention, a Mental Health Education Program by the University of Kansas Health System (TUKHS), reviews the myths and facts of suicide, behavioral and situational clues and warning signs, and how to best implement the question, persuade, and refer (QPR) process.

The Mental Health Education programs offered by TUKHS have been accessed by more than 3,000 health system employees, facilities, and nursing schools nationally and internationally. These programs have been specifically designed to offer a foundational knowledge level on some of the most important mental health topics facing health care professionals today. All courses are free and virtual.

Nurses who want to access classes should follow these instructions.

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Catch up quick: You can always read our archives here:

Complementary Collaboration for Kansas

This week’s Kansas State Board of Nursing quarterly meeting has us energized. We feel lucky to have a board that represents the very best of nursing in Kansas, both in terms of the depth and breadth of nursing practice, as well as those voices who come from outside the nursing profession.

We love how their mission ensures Kansans have a safe and competent nursing workforce complements our mission to ensure Kansans have access to nurses when and where they are needed. It's a great complement to our mission.

You often hear how collaboration is key to success. It's why we choose puzzle pieces to represent what we do... Each entity nurtures a very important piece of the nursing workforce puzzle. And when we each bring our piece together, we can then reveal the full picture of the nursing workforce. 

We believe this collaboration is the key to serving Kansans and Kansas nurses well.

Sincerely,

Amy Garcia and Barbara MacArthur

Kansas Nursing Workforce Center

What We’re Reading

Have Kansas Nursing Workforce news, solutions, or kudos you’d like us to share?
Email nursingwill@kumc.edu

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