|
Prospective employers placed 545 advertisements for nurse practitioners (NPs) throughout New Mexico according to May 2023 New Mexico Workforce Solutions reports. There were 91 additional advertisements for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). But here’s the kicker – there were a total of 7,000 open advertisements for registered nurses (RNs) of all types in all practice settings. If we didn’t already know, this report confirms that the healthcare workforce crisis is upon us in New Mexico.
The federal government is finally paying attention to the nationwide nursing crisis by delivering $100 million in funding to the states. Officials with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said recently the investments will help address the increasing demand for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and nurse faculty.
The funding will go toward the following:
- increasing the number of nursing school faculty members.
- supporting the career ladders for licensed practical nurses and vocational nurses to become RNs.
- training more nurses to become primary care and mental health NPs.
The University of New Mexico College of Nursing has applied for three of those grants and already received one for support of NP education.
A recent study by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing indicated that 100,000 nurses left the field during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 800,000 are likely to follow them out the door by 2027. Many of the nurses surveyed reported burnout and feeling emotionally drained.
We have already begun our effort to increase funding for public schools of nursing in the next New Mexico legislative session. The governor has indicated her support for $10 million to increase nursing student slots in our schools through faculty salary increases, dollars to support students, and funding to address other related needs.
These issues provide even more reason to fully stand up for our 112 Nurses for 112 Legislators campaign. Remember, we only have one nurse in the New Mexico legislature so there’s a huge need for educating our legislators about nurses and nursing issues!
| 
