The State of Nursing
in the
Commonwealth
Shirley Gibson, MSHA, RN
President
Virginia Nurses Association
OBJECTIVES
 To review the status of the nursing
shortage
 To describe national trends and the
effect on the state
 To discuss the current work of
nursing in the Commonwealth
Environmental Scan
 Shortage
 Staffing
 Unions
 Competency
 Resources
Virginia’s Nursing Shortage
 Recession blip - nothing has changed to
radically impact the demographics of the
shortage
 VNA has not changed its messaging
 Virginia will be short 20,000 nurses by 2020
 One in three citizens in the Commonwealth
will not have a nurse when they need one
Safe Staffing
 Safe Staffing Advisory Council (SSAC)
 Representatives from various practice sites
and regions
 VHHA, AARP VA, VANHA
 ANA Safe Staffing Saves Lives Campaign
 VNA’s messaging is there is no one solution
and ratios will not solve this
 Collaboration is key
Safe Staffing

Collaboration on white paper
− VNA
− VONE
− VHHA

VNA Calls
−
−
−
−
Staff Nurses Provide
Sounding board
Redirect in the organization
Provide ways to open dialogue
Unions
 ANA MOU not renewed
− UAN
− Center for American Nurses
 Nurses-National Nurses Organizing
Committee
− UAN
− CAN-NNOC (AFL-CIO)
− MNA
 Employee Free Choice act
 SSAC and Conflict Engagement program are
key message focuses that can counter the
union
Good News – Progress on
Education Capacity
 State Council of Higher Education
Report 2004
 Recommended an increase of 900
and was achieved
 Education Summit Team
− RWJ/AARP/Center to Champion
Nursing in America
 May 22, 2009 - Round Table
Good News – Progress on
Quantifying Supply and Demand
 Workforce Investment Act grant
 Department of Health Professions –
Healthcare Workforce Data Center
 Advisory Committee
− Physician Committee
− Nursing Committee
− Data Committee
 Touch-points on the Minimum Data
Set
Competency
 AARP VA – studying continuing
education requirements for nurses
as well as other health care
professionals
 AARP VA grant to the Board of
Nursing for an education workshop
around this issue
 Continuing education does not equal
competency
National Trends Impacting
Virginia
 ANA
− New CEO –Marla Weston, PhD, RN
 Federal stimulus funds that may be
available for HIT, workforce etc.
 National appointment of nurse
− Mary Wakefield, Administrator Health
Resources and Service Administration
 Health care reform
Virginia Nurses Association
So what is VNA doing ?
The SIR Report
 Nurses feel unsupported in the
workplace
 Whether they are a member or a
non-member they feel like VNA is
the voice for nursing
 Evidence based messaging and
strategic planning
 Working together is key
Collaboration Continues
 Resource allocation remains a
challenge for all organizations doing
the work of nursing
 Aggregate work to share resources
− VCNP is now a council of VNA
− VNA/VMC partnership to advance the
philosophy of Magnet forces for
nursing
− Strong alignment with VPN
− Collaborating with VONE, VHHA,
AARP VA and others on safe staffing
− VCNE – vision
Resources
 ANA, The Center for American
Nurses, and VNA will continue to be
your resource for advocacy and
information
 VNA committed to distilling and
disseminating information that is
useful to the nursing community
Center For American Nurses
 Create healthy work environments
through:
− Advocacy
− Education
− Research
 If you are a member of ANA/VNA
you are a member of the Center for
American Nurses
Center’s Priority Issues
 Conflict engagement
− HRSA is a grant partner
− Conflict engagement module
 Healthy work environments
 VNA received grants to address
minimal left and green working
environments
 NIEP grant - nurse investor
education program grants for
seminars and workshops
Center Products And
Services
 Legal Resource Center – new!
− Legal Basics for Nurses webinars
− Nurses First – new online journal
 LEAD Summit 2009 – June 11 to June 13 in
Orlando
 Co-branding and partnership opportunities
such as the Career Center
 VNA members on Center board
− Terri Haller, treasurer
− Becky Bowers-Lanier, director at large
Virginia Nurses Association
The mission of VNA is to provide advocacy and
education for Registered Nurses to advance
professional practice and influence the delivery of
quality care
VNA’s Strategic Plan
 Legislative Advocacy and Public
Policy
 Image
 Empower nurses to attain a positive
work environment
#1 Goal: Public Policy And
Legislative Advocacy
 Objectives
− Enhance recognition of the nursing
profession
− Ensure a positive legislative and
regulatory climate for nursing
practice
#2 Goal: Enhance Image For
VNA
 Objectives
− Develop and communicate
messaging that distinguishes VNA
− Use data driven methods to
determine marketing and
communications strategies
#3 Goal Attain A Positive Work
Environment
 Objectives
− Promote evidence based nursing
practice to achieve nursing
excellence
− Empower nurses to attain a positive
work environment
Virginia Nurses Foundation
 Purpose is to award scholarships for
nursing education in Virginia as well
as research grants
 2008 Gala collaboration with the
Virginia Magnet Consortium to
recognize nursing excellence in
Virginia
 Education Day Friday, October 16
 Save the date – Saturday, October
17, 2009
Nurse Leadership Institute
 A strategy for retention
 Funded for the next five years with a
grant from the Richmond Memorial
Health Foundation and funds from
the nursing community
 Next class of cohorts is forming
The Virginia
Magnet Consortium
VA Magnet Consortium
 Workforce Development
 New Knowledge and Research
 Professional Engagement, Professional
Development and Recognition of Nursing
 Guiding and Mentoring other
Organizations
The NPR Membership
Argument
All this work is
already being
done…
why do I need to
belong?
Belonging IS Important!
 More nurses belonging to nursing
associations….
− Gives additional power to the
association when speaking in front of
Congress and other regulatory bodies
− Gives additional funds for
associations to do work on behalf of
the profession
− Puts nursing in a position to direct
health care policy versus reacting to
it
Plus Membership Gives You
 A voice in the decisions being made
for the profession – practice is local
 Discounts and benefits as a member
including CE and certification classes
 Access to members only information
 A chance to interact with nurses
around the country
Your voice should be
heard!
 Gubernatorial election
 Kitchen Cabinet
 Nurse - PAC
Join And Lift Up Your Voice!