By Amy Curtis | January 2024

In this issue: We have data!; Kansas nursing schools working to attract more students in different ways; A nursing student in the Super Bowl? 

This newsletter is 1670 words long, about a 6-minute read.

One big thing: Kansas Nursing Workforce Center secures nursing data

Registered Nurse Employment Status 2022, Kansas vs. National
Data source: Kansas NCSBN Data, de-identified record level 2022 survey data; 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=277,034.9; LPN sample N=54,901.4.

The Kansas Nursing Workforce Center thanks the Kansas Board of Nursing (KSBN), the Kansas Department of Disability and Aging (KDADS), as well as the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) for their partnership in securing nursing workforce data for Kansas.

“I am grateful for the enthusiastic support of the Kansas Board of Nursing,” said Amy Garcia, co-director of the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center. “At their December (2023) meeting, they quickly and unanimously voted to give us access to their valuable data about Kansas registered nurses. KDADS followed nearly as quickly when asked.”

“Access to this information means our Center can start the work to fulfill our mission to ensure Kansans have access to nurses when and where they are needed and nurses are supported as individuals and as part of the healthcare team,” Garcia continued.

Why it matters: It is impossible to make informed decisions about the supply and demand for nurses in Kansas without access to the information about the nursing workforce. This information has historically been siloed. The people making decisions about the nursing workforce were unable to see the full picture.

When this information is pulled together in a central location that is easily accessible, stakeholders will be able to see employment trends and projections to support better planning.

Employers, policy makers and community members will be empowered to make informed decisions about the Kansas nursing workforce.

Getting started: Using the initial data feed, the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center pulled together “Registered Nurse Employment Status 2022, Kansas vs. National”.

In the chart above we can compare Kansas nursing information with the National Nursing Workforce Survey data (NCSBN) to see how many nurses are actively working in nursing full-time, part-time, or per diem as well as those employed in a field other than nursing, full-time, part-time, or per diem. The chart also shows those working in a volunteer capacity as well as those unemployed but seeking work, unemployed but not seeking work and those who are retired.

Telling the story for Kansas: The national news is filled with stories about the nursing workforce. This chart lets us see if Kansas nurses are following the same trajectory and where we differ.

Ultimately, it helps reveal the full picture of Kansas nursing.

Fort Hays State University and the Kansas Association of Community Colleges partner to address nursing shortages

Photo: FHSU Communications. Presidents of FHSU and Kansas community colleges, members of the Kansas Legislature, and administrators and faculty from FHSU and Kansas community colleges.

On January 19, 2024 Fort Hays State University and the Kansas Association of Community Colleges announced a new memo of understanding (MOU) that guarantees community college nursing graduates admission to the university’s bachelor of science in nursing program.

Details: Under the terms of the MOU, FHSU will provide guaranteed admission to students who have completed an accredited nursing program, hold a current Registered Nurse (RN) license, and meet all other FHSU admission requirements. There are eleven community colleges that are eligible.

What they’re saying: “Under this agreement, our students will enjoy a seamless opportunity to advance in their nursing careers, secure in the knowledge that they will be accepted into the FHSU BSN program,” said Heather Morgan, executive director of the Kansas Association of Community Colleges.

The Kansas State Board of Nursing recently increased the number of students that FHSU could admit to their BSN program from 65 to 90 students admitted per year.

Go deeper.

Wichita State University, Wichita Tech, and the University of Kansas unveil new campus renderings

Wichita State University (WSU), Wichita Tech, and the University of Kansas are partnering to build a new biomedical campus in downtown Wichita. Renderings of the new building were recently revealed.

Debra Pile, Chair and Associate Dean of Nursing Practice for WSU noted in this interview that the state-of-the-art campus could draw more students to the nursing profession.

Why it matters: “Having one [building] to meet the needs of pharmacists, nurses, physicians, and all of those entities involved in the biomedical center is really exciting,” said Pile.

Pile also noted that the new building would give WSU more space for nursing students and the ability to increase class size and simulation training space.

The new facility is expected to be completed in 2026.

Watch the segment.

Nurses ranked #1 in patient satisfaction poll

For over 20 years, nurses have ranked number one as the most trusted profession. This year, Gallup launched a new poll aimed at determining which healthcare provider delivered the highest patient satisfaction. And once again, nurses came out on top.

By the numbers: Eight in 10 Americans rated nurses’ care as excellent or good, 14 percentage points higher than doctors, who came in second. 

Why it matters: The public’s consistent positive response to nurses suggests that the nurse-patient relationship is vital to the health care system.

Additionally, polls highlighting the nursing profession in a positive light may help inspire more people to become nurses.

Go deeper.

University of Nebraska contracts with KS Nursing Workforce Center on data project

The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing contracted with the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center to provide a data review, statistical analysis, visualization, and guidance on refining and expanding their Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA)-funded preceptor-clinical instructor survey.

The analysis and guidance will help Nebraska assess the value of preceptor programs covering HRSA Region 7, based in Kansas City, Missouri and serving Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas.

Why it matters: HRSA's workforce programs improve the health of underserved and vulnerable populations by strengthening the health workforce and connecting skilled professionals to communities in need. The programs they fund support the health care workforce across the training continuum from training to service and expands the primary care workforce of clinicians who provide health care in high-need areas nationwide, including urban, rural, and frontier locations.

The survey had four aims in trying to understand the value of preceptor programs in the region.

Initial analysis work has begun, and the Center looks forward to supporting our colleagues in Nebraska to answer these important aims.

Do you need help with a nursing data analysis project? Reach out.

Kansas Nursing Workforce Center team attends National Forum members’ retreat

A portion of the Center team attended the National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers’ member retreat. The two-day conference was intended to bring together the nursing workforce centers from across the United States to share best practices in a peer-to-peer setting.

“The goals of each state's programming, initiatives, advocacy, and reporting are remarkably similar,” said Barbara MacArthur, co-director of the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center. “The differences in the structures, length of history, demographics of each state, publications, challenges, and successes, only enriched the conversations.”

During the retreat each state was asked to report on three accomplishments and three challenges from the previous year. The Kansas Center gave the following report:

The Center will travel to the National Forum annual conference in San Diego, June 17-19, 2023. Abstracts are currently being accepted.

Catch up quick: January Research Committee Meeting

Watch a recording of the January Research Committee meeting where Amy Hite,  EdD(c), DNP, APRN, FNP-C, presented about her Sexual Assault Nurse Educator (SANE) grant.

Amy's work includes efforts to recruit, train, and retain registered nurses (RNs), and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to complete SANE training, resources, and certification so that Kansans who experience sexual assault receive the care they need in a timely manner.

The next Research Committee meeting is scheduled for February 22, 2024 at 10a.m. Dr. Karen Weis will present on a Methodist Ministries project of mapping the workforce and capabilities for obstetrical care across KS. 

Sign up here to receive the meeting link or forward to colleagues who may also wish to attend.

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

Watch it now.

KUDOS: HirePaths works to inspire the next generation of nurses

We’re loving this Cool Careers spotlight on nursing from HirePaths, a fund of the Kansas Rural Communities Foundation.

In this ten-minute video, Cool Careers Correspondent Kamryn steps into the role of a nurse. He follows Marissa, a registered nurse at Stormont Vail Health in Topeka to find out how to get started in health care as well as some of the perks of the job. 

HirePaths’ mission is to inform and excite parents and guardians, as well as K-12 teachers, about options young people can pursue after high school to quickly and affordably launch a successful, well-paying career. This includes on-the-job training programs, apprenticeships, and technical and community college education. 

Why it matters: We know that inspiring future healthcare professionals must start at an early age. This video is fun and quickly shows the basics of nursing in an accessible way. We also love the outtakes at the end.

Pass it along to others!

A nursing student in the Super Bowl?

Yes! You read that right.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ Clyde Edwards-Helaire is not only a star running back on the field, he’s also a nursing student!

Edwards-Helaire recently shared that he was drawn into nursing for two reasons: his mother is a nurse, and his younger sister was born with muscular dystrophy, so it’s a field he’s always been passionate to learn more about.

We think football and nursing have more in common than you’d think. The intangible qualities that make an elite running back effective—patience, instinct, vision, awareness, teamwork—are the same intangible qualities that make a nurse effective.

Either way, know who we’ll be rooting for on Feb. 11!

Go Chiefs!

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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