HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 20

47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2006

INTRODUCED BY

Miguel P. Garcia

FOR THE LEGISLATIVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THAT THE NEW MEXICO HEALTH POLICY COMMISSION APPOINT A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE ADEQUACY OF NURSING SCHOOL FACULTY SALARIES IN NEW MEXICO.

     WHEREAS, over forty-one percent of registered nurses and forty-three percent of licensed practical nurses in New Mexico are over the age of fifty, which means that forty-three percent of the nursing workforce will need to be replaced over the next fifteen years; and

     WHEREAS, the labor department predicts that the state will need an additional four thousand five hundred twenty registered nurses and six hundred eighty licensed practical nurses by the year 2012; and

     WHEREAS, there is a critical need for qualified nursing school faculty as existing faculty reach retirement age; and

     WHEREAS, recruiting qualified nursing school faculty is hampered by low salaries and the fact that a nursing school faculty member typically earns two thousand dollars ($2,000) less than the average nursing graduate; and

     WHEREAS, without an adequate number of qualified nursing school faculty, nursing schools in New Mexico will be unable to accommodate the growing demand for nurses in the state;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico health policy commission appoint a task force to study solutions to the nursing school faculty salary problem; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include, but not necessarily be limited to, representatives of the college of nursing at the university of New Mexico; the department of nursing at New Mexico state university; one or more nursing programs at community colleges; the New Mexico nurses association; the New Mexico center for nursing excellence; and the higher education department; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force consider in its study the possible benefits of creating an amnesty program for current faculty loan recipients as an encouragement for nurses with advanced education to become faculty and restructuring expansion funds to be recurring line items in the nursing program budgets; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force report its findings to the legislative health and human services committee by November 2007; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico health policy commission.

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