Lawmakers, college officials plan nursing students increase

Erin Neff

Thursday, April 10, 2003 | 11:15 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- University, hospital and Assembly leadership representatives this morning proposed increasing enrollment of nursing students to address the state's nursing shortage.

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, initiated work with Chancellor Jane Nichols of the University and Community College System and hospital officials to add 640 nursing students over the the next two years.

"It's probably the most acute issue facing the state today," Perkins said. "We need nurses."

Nursing program enrollment would increase from 686 students in fiscal year 2003 to 1,326 students in fiscal year 2005.

The total cost of the plan, $6 million, would be paid using university system formula funding, additional student fees and $1.3 million in savings from a surplus achieved by reducing the system's workers compensation rate.

The proposal is a response to the need for nurses at a time funding for the Nevada State College at Henderson has been threatened. That school is designed to train teachers and nurses.

Bill Welch of the Nevada Hospital Association championed the proposal, but cautioned that nursing students would not be available to work in Nevada's hospitals for another three years.

"It is a great start to address the shortage," Welch said. One of the problems with the proposal is that it assumes lawmakers will fund higher education at 86 percent of the formula, as proposed in Gov. Kenny Guinn's budget.

"We're still in a state of flux here in the system, and anything we're talking about here is contingent on the state's revenue plan coming up with enough to fund the formula," Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said this morning during a joint subcommittee hearing examining the university system budget.