2022 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 129
BY SENATOR HEWITT
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request the Nursing Supply and Demand Council to study and make
recommendations to improve statewide nurse retention in response to the nursing
workforce shortage.
WHEREAS, the United States is in the midst of a critical nurse shortage expected
to continue through the year 2030 and its impact is far-reaching; and
WHEREAS, according to the Louisiana State Board of Nursing's 2020 annual report,
over nine thousand three hundred registered nurses currently working and residing in
Louisiana indicated that they were planning to leave their current nursing position; and
WHEREAS, according to a recent Louisiana Center for Nursing survey, in 2018 the
median turnover rate for registered nurses employed by Louisiana hospitals was nineteen
percent compared to a median turnover rate of almost fourteen percent in 2014 and
seventeen percent in 2010; and
WHEREAS, according to the Louisiana Health Works Commission's 2021 annual
report, in 2020 there were sixty-six thousand seventy-six registered nurses holding an active
license in Louisiana compared to sixty-nine thousand six hundred forty-seven in 2019, which
represents a five percent decrease in licensed registered nurses; and
WHEREAS, data on job postings for healthcare occupations in Louisiana during the
past five years shows that registered nurses account for the greatest labor shortage, with an
average of one hundred sixty-four unique job postings per month; and
WHEREAS, labor supply estimates for the year 2030 indicate that the nurse shortage
will continue unabated if interventions are not undertaken and it is estimated that as many
as forty-two percent of the total nursing positions will go unfilled; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has left lasting impressions on the healthcare
workforce, including an impact on nurse wellbeing which may negatively influence nurse
retention if not addressed; and
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WHEREAS, pursuant to R.S. 37:1007, the Nursing Supply and Demand Council is
charged with studying all aspects of the supply of and demand for nurses; and
WHEREAS, because Louisiana has a pronounced shortage of nurses which has been
exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, fostering a greater supply of nurses is a vital
public health priority of this state.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby urge and request the Nursing Supply and Demand Council to study and make
recommendations to improve statewide nurse retention in response to the nursing workforce
shortage.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the council may do any of the following:
(1)Review pertinent statewide studies to identify actionable recommendations
regarding the retention of nurses in Louisiana.
(2)Research national practices regarding statewide nurse retention initiatives and
nurse wellbeing.
(3)Consult with other interested stakeholders who have experience in nurse
retention initiatives or nurse wellbeing.
(4)Conduct surveys of licensed nurses with the assistance of the Louisiana State
Board of Nursing and the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the council shall make a written report of its
findings and recommendations to the Senate and House committees on health and welfare
no later than February 1, 2023.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Board of Regents.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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