TRENTON, N.J. – The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration projects that New Jersey is on pace to suffer the nation’s third biggest shortage of trained nurses by the year 2030. That troubling trajectory is all the more concerning in light of the imminent need for medical professionals to combat COVID-19.
Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz (R-21), a former licensed nurse, is pushing two bills this week to begin to fix the problem
–
A1759 would permit county colleges to award Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees.
A1760 would make it easier for nurse practitioners to prescribe medications particularly when a doctor is not available.
Both legislative proposals are awaiting action by the Assembly Higher Education and Health committees. Governor Murphy has acted on other proposals in the interim, notably accelerating the process to license out-of-state medical professionals and expanded “telehealth” services access.
Watch:
_
