By Amy Curtis | February 2024

In this issue: $500,000 gift received, Kansas RNs by age, Lunch & Learn opportunity-Engaging the C-Suite in Nursing Workforce Planning 

This newsletter is 1,223 words long, about a 5-minute read.

One big thing: Kansas Nursing Workforce Center receives $500,000 gift

Sunflower Health Plan President, Michael Stephens and  Vice President Alissa Zerr presents a ceremonial big check to Amy Garcia and Barbara MacArthur, co-directors of the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center. 

Photo: Selena Jabara, University of Kansas Medical Center

The Kansas Nursing Workforce Center, based in the University of Kansas School of Nursing, received a $500,000 gift from the Centene Foundation and Sunflower Health Plan to build a centralized data collection and exchange system.

Why it matters: The data warehouse will help the Center and key stakeholders gather and analyze more accurate information about the nursing workforce in Kansas. Better information will help Kansans make better decisions about how to support nurses and nursing.

The Center will use the collected information to:

What they’re saying: “Nurses play an integral role in health care delivery and the overall health outcomes of Kansans,” said Alissa Zerr, DNP, vice president of population health at Sunflower Health Plan. “Sunflower Health Plan is honored to sponsor, participate in and support the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center, and we believe its collaborative intention and comprehensive plan will advance the health care workforce across the state for decades to come.”

Read the full story.

Kansas Nursing Workforce by Age

The Kansas Nursing Workforce Center is working to reveal the full picture of the nursing workforce in Kansas.

Why it matters: Drawing together information from various stakeholders in Kansas helps to reveal the full picture of what is happening with Kansas nurses.

Last month we revealed the first chart, Nurse Employment Status 2022, Kansas vs. National.

This month we’re looking at how age demographics among licensed Registered Nurses (RNs) in Kansas compares to the national demographics.

Follow the trends: Licensed RNs in Kansas showed a similar age distribution to the national distribution. 

What they’re saying: "During January, we noticed that the percentage of licensed RNs in Kansas who had retired (10.7%) was higher than national (8.3%)," said Amy Garcia, co-director of the Center. "This difference led us to wonder: Are Kansas nurses were older than the national distribution? The data in the chart above suggests that Kansas nurses are not older than nurses across the US and that we should look for other reasons that more Kansas RNs have reported themselves as retired."

Stay tuned: Next month we will dig into RN distribution by gender.

Chart Notes: Weighted Frequencies were generated using a weight variable to account for response bias.

Data Source: De-identified record level NCSBN 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey data; Sample sizes: Kansas NCSBN - RN sample N=589; LPN sample N=598. National-level NCSBN - RN sample N=277,034; LPN sample N=54,901.

Catch up quick: February Research Committee Meeting

Watch a recording of the February Research Committee meeting where Karen Weis, PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN, presented her current research to map the nursing workforce and maternity care capabilities in Kansas. This research is funded by the Methodist Ministries.

Karen also shared her expertise on critical access hospitals and rural emergency hospitals as these reimbursement models relate to the nursing workforce in Kansas.

Next month, we will hear from Rayna Letourneau, PhD, RN about her research projects at the Florida Center for Nursing.

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 research talent to better serve the healthcare 

Dr. Letourneau

community of Kansas, advance the field of nursing and healthcare and improve the nursing workforce in Kansas.

The next scheduled 60-minute meeting is set for March 28, 2024 at 10a.m.

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

Watch it now.

Lunch & Learn: Engaging the C-Suite in Nursing Workforce Planning

Make plans to attend the Lunch & Learn Workshop: Engaging the C-Suite in Nursing Workforce Planning featuring Barbara MacArthur, MS, RN, FAAN, co-director of the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center.

Sponsored by the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce, this workshop will be held on Wednesday, March 20th from 12:00 – 1:00 pm, eastern.

Attendees will learn how to:

Register here.

KUDOS: Kansas nurses save man while boarding flight at KCI

While boarding a flight last October, a man collapsed on the jetway. That's when Meghan Pope, Ellyssa Coble, and Jamie Glynn, nurses with Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, sprang into action, administering life-saving measures.

We applaud these nurses.👏👏👏

Their actions reiterate the mission of the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center… Kansas must have access to nurses when and where they are needed. Even if it's at the end of a jetway.

Watch now.

Trauma-Informed Care Class Available On-Demand

Trauma-Informed Care, a Mental Health Education Program by the University of Kansas Health System (TUKHS), reviews the causes and types of traumas, the causes and pathology of PTSD and secondary PTSD, and how trauma-informed care can be utilized to prevent re-traumatization for patients and families.

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 are 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.

New Health Care Career Resource

The Kansas Hospital Association recently launched, HappyInHealthcare.org, an engaging new website that is aimed to inspire young people and career changes who are considering a health care career.

The site features:

Why it matters: Research shows that it helps to inspire kids to health care careers at an early age. Making the information easily accessible means more kids can be inspired. 💡

Check it out!

Help us grow!

Do you love the information you receive in this newsletter? (we hope so…)

If you do, please forward it to others who might be interested or invite them to sign up. 📧

You can always read our archives here:

THANK YOU! 

We want to personally thank the Sunflower Health Plan and Centene Foundation for their generous support for the Center.

Their $500,000 gift enables us to build a central source for nursing workforce information; something you requested during our statewide listening sessions.

Your biggest and most pressing request was for us to collect and analyze specific information to help you solve the chronic supply and demand imbalance found in the Kansas nursing workforce.

This gift makes it possible for us to meet your need.

Cheers! 🎉

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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