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THE SENATE                           S.C.R. NO.            S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

  REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
    RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT, AND HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS
    CORPORATION, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
    HAWAII SCHOOL OF NURSING, TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM ENABLING
    NURSES EMPLOYED BY THE STATE OF HAWAII TO OBTAIN ADVANCED
    NURSING DEGREES.



 1        WHEREAS, nurses perform critically important functions in
 2   the State's health care system; and
 3   
 4        WHEREAS, advanced degrees enable nurses to perform a wide
 5   range of responsibilities as primary care providers who can
 6   effectively respond to the dynamic changes in the health care
 7   system as clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, or
 8   nurse midwives; and
 9   
10        WHEREAS, the Bureau of Labor estimated several years ago
11   that employment of registered nurses will grow by more than
12   twenty per cent between 1994-2004; and
13   
14        WHEREAS, in evolving integrated health care networks,
15   nurses will likely rotate among different settings, placing a
16   premium on those nurses with advanced degrees since employment
17   in hospitals will grow more slowly than in other health-related
18   sectors; and
19   
20        WHEREAS, nurses with advanced degrees can bill third party
21   insurers for the care they provide, thereby increasing the
22   amount of insurance reimbursements received by the State; and
23   
24        WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii must take appropriate
25   measures to assure adequate staffing and training of its
26   nurses, especially in rural and selected urban areas; now,
27   therefore, 
28   
29        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
30   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 1999, the House of
31   Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health,
32   Department of Human Resources Development, and Hawaii Health

 
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                                  S.C.R. NO.            S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1   Systems Corporation, with the assistance of the University of
 2   Hawaii School of Nursing, develop a plan to be gradually phased
 3   in that would increase the number of public sector nurses with
 4   advanced nursing degrees; and
 5   
 6        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health, in
 7   developing the program, consider various incentives such as
 8   tuition reimbursement, time off from work to attend classes,
 9   hiring preferences to those willing to work in rural areas for
10   a specified period of time following completion of their
11   advanced degree, and incentives used in other states; and
12   
13        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health and
14   the Department of Human Resources Development submit findings
15   and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty
16   days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2000; and
17   
18        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
19   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health,
20   Director of Human Resources Development, Hawaii Health Systems
21   Corporation, and the Dean of the University of Hawaii School of
22   Nursing.