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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                     HOUSE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

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



 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 statistics estimated several
11   years ago that employment of registered nurses will grow by
12   more than 20 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, there is currently no job classification for
25   advanced practice registered nurses in the State system and,
26   therefore, graduates of the program may be forced into the
27   private sector for higher-paying jobs; and
28   
29        WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii must take appropriate
30   measures to assure:

 
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                                  H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1        (1)  Adequate staffing and training of its nurses,
 2             especially in rural and selected urban areas; and
 3   
 4        (2)  That advanced practice registered nurses are able to
 5             provide the nursing services they are educated to
 6             provide by creating advanced practice registered
 7             nurse classifications; now, therefore, 
 8   
 9        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
10   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
11   of 1999, the Senate concurring, that:
12   
13        (1)  The Department of Health is requested to work with
14             the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation and the
15             University of Hawaii School of Nursing in developing
16             a program to be gradually phased in that would
17             increase the number of public sector nurses with
18             advanced nursing degrees; and
19   
20        (2)  The Department of Human Resources Development develop
21             job classifications for advanced practice registered
22             nurses; and
23   
24        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health, in
25   developing the program, consider various incentives such as
26   tuition reimbursement, time off from work to attend classes,
27   hiring preferences to those willing to work in rural areas for
28   a specified period of time following completion of their
29   advanced degree, and incentives used in other states; and
30   
31        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health
32   submit its findings and recommendations with regard to the
33   development of the program to increase the number of public
34   sector nurses with advanced nursing degrees to the Legislature
35   no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular
36   Session of 2000; and
37   
38        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Human
39   Resources Development submit its findings and recommendations
40   with regard to the development of job classification for
41   advanced practice registered nurses to the Legislature no later
42   than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of
43   2000; and

 
 
 
 
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                                  H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
 2   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Directors of Health
 3   and Human Resources Development, the Chief Executive Officer of
 4   the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and the Dean of the
 5   University of Hawaii School of Nursing.