Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Higher Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 6 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the nursing shortage in Hawaii and find a long-term solution for adequate nursing resources by requesting the Hawaii State Center for Nursing at the University of Hawaii to investigate and institute a five-year strategic plan.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Center for Nursing, the University of Hawaii School of Nursing, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the Hawaii Nurses' Association, Hawaii Pacific Health, and Kaiser Permanente.

Your Committees find that a serious nursing shortage exists in Hawaii and will become critical in the near future as the majority of nurses will be nearing retirement age. The mission of the Hawaii State Center for Nursing is to ensure that Hawaii has the nursing resources necessary to meet the health care needs of its people. Therefore, the Hawaii State Center for Nursing is the appropriate agency to conduct an investigation into immediate and long-term solutions to the nursing shortage.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 6 and recommend its adoption.