REPORT: March 2006

Nurses Advise Suffolk County Executive

Strategies developed to retain and recruit nurses

by Diane Pineiro-Zucker

A 19-member Nursing Advisory Committee (NAC) appointed in 2004 by the Suffolk County executive, met over the course of a year and prepared a report and list of recommendations for the retention and recruitment of nurses, many of which were incorporated into an “action plan” introduced by County Executive Steve Levy.

Levy and the county health commissioner announced on March 8 that Suffolk County will embark on a “multi-pronged plan to attract the next generation of nursing professionals – as well as retain the present generation.” NAC co-chair Mary J. Finnin, NYSNA’s treasurer, called the county plan “a step in the right direction.”

The NAC, co-chaired by Finnin and NYSNA member Anna Gaeta, strongly recommended a career ladder for nurses that included recognition and compensation for education and experience.

Finnin said the NAC is a model for counties statewide. “We’re anxious to be able to see some of our recommendations implemented and to have a positive impact on health services in Suffolk County,” Finnin said. “We’ll gladly work with nurses in other counties who wish to form similar advisory bodies.”

Nurses spoke: executive listened

The NAC comprises nursing faculty from junior and senior colleges, staff nurses with mostly clinical experience, and mental health professionals, many of whom would normally not have many opportunities to work with one another. The committee will continue to meet with the county executive at least twice annually. “I think it’s a positive start,” Finnin said. “I feel very good about it.”

“The Nursing Advisory Committee completed a comprehensive assessment of our present situation, as well as an evaluation of our long-term needs, and recognized the need to support those presently in the nursing profession and to encourage more young people to enter the field,” said Gaeta.

In its report, titled “Addressing the Nursing Shortage and Reducing Disparities in Access to Care for Ethnic Minorities in Suffolk County,” the committee:

• pointed out that Suffolk’s 17,000 RNs represent the largest group of healthcare providers in Suffolk County — of those only 12,000 are practicing;
• called on the county to address the need for improved educational opportunities, scholarships, recruitment, and retention of RNs in Suffolk County;
• asked the executive to address the nursing shortage by creating county scholarship and loan forgiveness programs;
• suggested a county Web site and a pamphlet highlighting professional nursing opportunities and resources, including faculty positions;
• supported development of a “nursing center” serving underserved areas of Suffolk County; and
• encouraged the ongoing dissemination of information to minority communities regarding access to care, public service announcements, and healthcare alerts.

Some recommendations accepted

Evidently, according to Gaeta, the county executive was listening. Many of the committee’s recommendations were incorporated into the plan. The county plan includes a Web site and video promoting nursing in Suffolk County, which is expected to be released in time for Nurses Week 2006. The county’s health department will expand the use of public service announcements regarding health-related matters and health alerts. The county will also work with members of the NAC to offer cultural awareness workshops for Suffolk’s healthcare workers.

The executive plans to maintain an updated pool of county grant applications and will direct the Suffolk County commissioner of health to review grant opportunities for nursing-related programs and to report back within six months.

The county executive has pledged to support “legislation that would assist in the retention and recruitment of professional nurses, such as legislation to provide financial support to nursing students and nursing schools to assist in hiring nursing faculty.”

Finnin hopes the county will act on other NAC initiatives, such as a nurse-run clinic, and the expansion of highly successful programs run by nurse practitioners, such as the immunization program, diabetes program, and family planning program.

Finnin said the NAC would continue to work with county leaders to promote access to health services for all residents. She hopes to see the county health centers used as an education and clinical resource for nursing programs at local colleges and universities.