Nursing Shortages Persist
Twelve of 24 metropolitan areas in California received a D or F grade for per capita nurse staffing, according to a study released Tuesday by the California Institute for Nursing and Health Care, the Monterey County Herald reports.
The study compared the ratios of registered nurses for every 100,000 people in 24 regions statewide (Purewal, Monterey County Herald, 5/10).
The state received a D grade overall, with 622 nurses per 100,000 people, compared to the national average of 787 nurses per 100,000 people (Correa, Fresno Bee, 5/10). Nationwide, California ranks 49th in nurse-to-patient ratio, according to the California Hospital Association (Hagedorn, Bakersfield Californian, 5/9).
Five of the regions received F grades, and eight received D grades. The Redding area received a B -- the highest grade in California -- with 1,079 nurses per 100,000 residents. Only one other region had a higher ratio than the national average (Fresno Bee, 5/10).
The study is available online. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the report.