147             
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.              
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE  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.



 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 House of Representatives of the
30   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
31   of 1999, that the Department of Health work with the Hawaii
32   Health Systems Corporation and the University of Hawaii School
33   of Nursing in developing a plan to be gradually phased in that

 
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                                  H.R. NO.              
                                                        
                                                        

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