Study Looks to Men To Fill Nursing Spots in Monterey County
Monterey County should encourage more males to pursue the nursing profession in an effort to help reduce a shortage of full-time nurses at the county's four hospitals, according to a study released Wednesday by the county's Workforce Investment Board, the Monterey County Herald reports.
Thirty-seven percent of the hospitals' work force is employed full time, while 63% work part time. It is more costly for hospitals to employ two part-time nurses than one full-time nurse, leading the study panel to recommend recruiting men, who are more likely to work full time.
The rate of female nurses at the hospitals is between 87% and 90%, and the ratio in local training programs reflects that percentage, according to the Herald.
The study found that an aging nursing population, high housing costs and limited training programs were the main causes of a health worker shortage in the county. The shortage has forced recruiters to seek employees outside the region and internationally.
The panel also highlighted the need for a trauma center but concluded that the cost to operate a 24-hour facility would be prohibitive.
The board's study is the first of a three-part series examining the needs of the county's health care industry (Salinas, Monterey County Herald, 6/28).