Transcript www.ihatoday.org

Grow Your Own
Illinois Hospitals Educating Students,
Alleviating Workforce Shortages
Shortage of skilled health care
personnel in US at critical levels

Unprecedented in depth and duration

Expected to worsen as Baby Boomers
retire and workforce continues to age

Efforts have been undertaken to combat
shortage, but are inadequate
Critical Shortage Nationwide

Hospitals reported 160,000
Registered Nurse (RN)
vacancies
1
in December 2006

RN shortage projections for 2020
range from2 400,000 to 1 million+
vacancies

More than 5 million new health
care workers
will
be
needed
by
3
2010
1
“Workforce Challenges,” American Hospital Association. 2 “What Works: Healing the healthcare staffing shortage.”
PriceWaterhouseCoopers. 2007. 3”National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses,” Division of Nursing. February 2007.
Illinois’ Workforce Shortage

22 occupations in Illinois hospitals had
1
vacancy rates over 7% in 2004

Total number of professional caregivers
is expected to decrease 4.2% between
2
2000 and 2020
 By
2020, Illinois will face a
2
shortage of 21,000 nurses
1
“2004 Workforce Survey,” Illinois Hospital Association. 3”State public health director talks about great
opportunities…” State of Illinois Press Release, 25 May 2006.
22 Positions in Illinois Hospitals
with High Vacancy Rates
Position
Vacancy
Rate
Position
Vacancy
Rate
Physical Therapy Aide
20.6%
Food Service Workers
9.8%
Clinical Nurse Specialist
20.1%
Occupational Therapy Assistant
9.8%
Respiratory Therapy Technician
20.0%
Nurse Practitioner
9.5%
Transporter
17.5%
Occupational Therapist
9.4%
Physical Therapist
14.3%
Pharmacy Technician
8.1%
Speech Language Pathologist
14.2%
Social Services Providers
8.1%
Nurse Midwife
14.0%
Registered Staff Nurse
8.0%
Radiology or Related Procedures
Technician
12.7%
LPN
7.9%
Radiation Therapy Technologist
11.6%
Medical Records Technician MRT/ART
7.7%
Radiographer/Radiologic
Technologist
11.3%
Central Supply Worker
7.5%
Licensed Social Worker
11.2%
Nursing Assistant
7.3%
Source: “2004 Workforce Study,” Illinois Hospital Association.
When the Baby Boomers retire,
who will take care of them?
1

More than 41,000 qualified nursing
applicants were denied admission to
U.S. nursing schools (undergraduate
1
and graduate) programs in 2005

Illinois’ academic institutions turned
away more than 1,100 qualified
2
baccalaureate applicants in 2006
3
and 1,900 students in 2005
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2005 data). As in “What Works: Healing the healthcare staffing shortage.”
PriceWaterhouseCoopers. 2007. 2”Durbin’s Troops to Nurse Teachers Program.” Press Release, 15 June 2006. 3“State public
health director talks about great opportunities…” Press Release, 25 May 2006.
Aging Population,
Aging Workforce...

Demand for skilled health care
professionals will increase sharply as
1
78 million “Baby Boomers” retire

55% of nurses across the nation will
2
retire between 2011 and 2020

Average age of U.S. RNs in 2004 was
4
46.8 years. RNs younger than 30
3
account for less than 10% of nurses.
1
“Workforce Challenges,” American
Hospital Association. 2”National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses,” Division of
3“
Nursing. February 2007. Strategies to Reverse the New Nursing Shortage,” American Association of Colleges of
Nursing. January 2001. 4 Based on finding from the Nursing Management Aging Workforce Survey released in July
2006 by the Bernard Hodes Group.
The Good News?
Unemployment rates for skilled
health care employees are at
historically low levels
National Employment Projections
Registered Nurses

New jobs will increase by 703,000 from 2004 - 2014
 Total
job openings from 2004-2014:
1,203,000
Nursing Aides, orderlies, & attendants

New jobs will increase by 325,000 from 2004 - 2014
 Total
job openings from 2004-2014:
516,000
“Occupational Employment Projections to 2014,” Bureau of Labor Statistics. Monthly Labor Review, Nov 2005
Springfield, we have
a workforce problem.
What Can We Do?
One Solution
Already In the Works:
Educate Students and
Grow Your Own
skilled health care
professionals.
Regional Health Occupations
Program

Hospitals partner with area schools to
teach seniors in high school a Health
Occupations Course

Students observe hospital staff, learn
patient care skills, and earn school
credit

At end of academic year, eligible
students take the Certified Nursing
Assistant exam…
… and most Health
Occupation program
graduates become
Certified Nursing
Assistants
What Exactly is this Health
Occupations Program?

A health science technology class
designed for high school seniors

A class taught by an experienced
nurse that meets in a hospital 2 hours
a day, 5 days a week

Curriculum includes study of health
care careers, basic anatomy and
physiology, and hands on clinical
experience with real patients.
“Regional Health Occupations Program,” Eastern Illinois Education for Employment System
Additional Details

Students carry auto and liability insurance
and provide their own transportation and
uniforms

Students must sign and abide by a
confidentiality agreement with hospital to
participate in program

Students observe health care professionals
at work and receive training in basic
nursing aid skills
Program Benefits

Course graduates are fast-tracked into
post-secondary education opportunities:


Students receive academic credit for course
Some colleges reserve highly desired places in
academic programs for Health Occupations course
graduates

Health Occupations graduates become
skilled health care professionals, benefiting
their local communities and economies

Program serves as key bridge to industry
and academia
Most Importantly…
Students gain real-life experience and
determine (before costly postsecondary education) if they want to
pursue careers in health care.
Hospitals make invaluable contact
with their future workforce; many
Health Occupations grads return to
the hospitals in which they began.
One Illinois Hospital Builds on
Program Success by Offering
Students Scholarships

Hospital pays 100% of tuition and books
at local community college for approved
programs in health care

Student agrees to work full-time for the
hospital for 2 years following
completion of program or repay hospital
all expenses
Program Results: 2000 - 2007
Of 117 scholarship applicants at one
mid-sized Illinois hospital:
14 withdrew from program
18 found other employment
25 are
in the educational pipeline
29
have fulfilled their obligation to
the hospital
60 are employed by the hospital
Keitel, Kal, “Healthcare Workforce: Growing & Developing Caregivers & Leaders for the Future.” 10 September 2007.
To This Mid-Sized Hospital,
This Program Has Delivered…

34 Staff Nurses, with 15 more in
the educational pipeline

17 Radiology Technicians, with 3
more in the educational pipeline

4 Surgical Technicians, with 3
more in the educational pipeline

2 Nuclear Medicine employees

2 Ultrasound Technicians, with 1
more in the educational pipeline
Keitel, Kal, “Healthcare Workforce: Growing & Developing Caregivers & Leaders for the Future.” 10 September 2007.
Now it’s time to
Grow YOUR Own!
For more information on this program and
other workforce issues, please visit the
Illinois Hospital Association online:
www.IHAtoday.org/Issues/Workforce