State Gets ‘D’ Grade in Report Card Analyzing Nurse-to-Resident Ratio
In a California Institute for Nursing and Health Care report card released this week, California received a "D" grade for its ratio of working registered nurses to the overall population, the Fresno Bee reports.
The not-for-profit CINHC based the report on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Anderson, Fresno Bee, 1/25).
The study graded 23 regions in California. An "A" grade was given to areas with a ratio of 1,257 or more nurses per 100,000 individuals (CINHC release, 1/23).
Key Details
California received a "D" grade for having 644.3 working nurses per 100,000 residents, lower than the national average of 859.9 nurses per 100,000 people (Fresno Bee, 1/25).
According to the report:
- The Redding area exceeded the national average with 960Â nurses per 100,000 residents; and
- The San Francisco area ranked near the national average with 857.7 nurses per 100,000 residents.
More than half of the 23 regions CINHC analyzed received grades of "D" or "F" (CINHC release, 1/23).
Implications
Deloras Jones -- executive director of the institute -- said the study can be used as a tool for regional planning.
Jones added that the study also supports the need to reach and maintain enrollment capacity in nursing schools, as there likely will be a nursing shortage when older nurses retire and the economy improves (Fresno Bee, 1/25).
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