(KWNO)-A measure in the Minnesota Senate’s recently passed health and human services bill would enter Minnesota into a nationwide nursing compact.
The compact means care providers who meet a national standard can work in states that participate in the compact. Winona Health President/CEO Rachelle Schultz told KWNO Minnesota’s licensing process is “labor-intensive” and takes multiple months to complete.
“It’s actually one of the challenges we’ve been working with the board of nursing on as well as the board of medicine for physicians so we can more people licensed in this state,” said Schultz.
Schultz said the current process delayed getting nurses to positions they were needed in during a COVID-19 driven hospital onslaught last year. Despite a return to normal hospitalization levels, Schultz says the healthcare industry is still grappling with staffing shortages.
“This at any time is a good time. I think it was just really highlighted and showed the importance of it during the pandemic,” Schultz said.
A post on the Minnesota Nurses Association website says, “the number of registered nurses has increased by over 14,000 in the past three years to a total of 119,209 last year. There are more than enough nurses in Minnesota to meet the needs in our hospitals.”
The measure faces an uphill battle in the DFL-controlled Minnesota House.
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