CON holds breakfast for S.C. legislatorsby Heather WoolwinePublic Relations When Gail Stuart, Ph.D., R.N., College of Nursing dean, CON advisory board members, faculty, and students mailed invitations for a legislative breakfast to South Carolina representatives and senators, they had no idea what to expect. “We’ve never done anything like this before,” Stuart said. “This a first for the CON in terms of organizing an event to better voice and educate our state representatives about what is happening in the field of nursing. Dr. Kay Chitty, one of our advisory board members, was responsible for making this event a reality. ” It seems the unprecedented event reaped great results, with more than 50 legislators attending the CON’s breakfast in Columbia on April 14. “It was a fantastic turnout,” Stuart said. “And the perfect opportunity to begin a dialogue about numerous problems facing nurses in the state and across the country. While most of those in attendance seemed aware that there was a shortage, no one could really explain the full dimensions of the problem. It was our job to begin educating them about the scope of the problem and how it translates into nursing education and patient care for South Carolinians.” “Almost every legislator there had a nurse in the family,” said Randy Beckett, CON student. “They had a great deal of respect for nurses, which further confirmed to me that nursing is one of the most respected professions. This initial contact was meant to help these legislators understand the impact of the nursing shortage on our state’s health and how health care costs are rising, in part due to the care provided for unfunded patients.” Legislators, students, and faculty discussed numerous topics ranging from an overview of the shortage and the need for more community outreach efforts to nursing education. “We tried to explain how much nurses are needed not just in the hospitals, but in the classroom as well,” said Hannah Weiner, CON student. “Part of the problem stems from not having enough money to pay for nurse educators who must guide future nurses. We hope these legislators will take this into consideration when debating the budget. We learned a lot about state government and the importance of communicating our needs and concerns to our lawmakers.” Stuart told legislators how other states have handled shortages through line items in the budget and funded, unified statewide efforts. She also mentioned the irony facing many nursing schools, including MUSC. “It’s not as if the interest to go into nursing isn’t out there during this time of shortage,” she said. “We doubled our Charleston class size but still received more than 450 applications for the 80 open slots for this fall on our Charleston and Florence campuses. With additional dedicated funding from the state we can do more, but the state cutbacks have hurt us significantly. In addition, the shortage has raised the salaries of nurse clinicians while nursing faculty has not received an increase in salary in more than three years, so the gap between nurse clinicians and faculty is widening. This contributes directly to the difficulty nursing programs have in recruiting new faculty members.” In terms of future activism on behalf of the CON and nurses in general, Stuart believes the next steps may entail a trip to the rotunda and maintaining a constant presence in the minds of South Carolina lawmakers. “We also want the legislature to use us as a resource,” she said. “We
would love to help them with the range of health-related issues that come
across their desks. Nurses know patient care and the health care system.
We are the profession identified as most ethical and trustworthy. It is
time we bring our knowledge, skills, and compassion to the broader health
care agenda. Whether it’s coordinating nursing programs across the state
or working with hospitals, I believe we have the ability to create a unique
opportunity for the future of nursing in South Carolina and perhaps serve
as a model for the rest of the country.”
Friday, May 7, 2004
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