STAND. COM. REP. NO. 523

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 93

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 93 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE SIMULATION RESOURCE LABORATORIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to expand and establish healthcare workforce simulation resource laboratories throughout the University of Hawaii system for healthcare workforce development and training.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Center for Nursing of the University of Hawaii, the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses, and four individuals.  Comments on the measure were submitted by the University of Hawaii System.

     Your Committee finds that a nursing shortage in Hawaii currently exists and is only expected to worsen as our population ages and nurses continue to retire.  According to the Hawaii State Center for Nursing of the University of Hawaii, the University of Hawaii's ability to graduate a sufficient supply of nurses will continue to fall well short of the anticipated demand.  The shortage is exacerbated by the shortage of nursing faculty, a lack of adequate infrastructure and facilities, and a deficiency in the availability of clinical training for students to acquire practical knowledge, skills, and competence.  Your Committee further finds that simulation learning offers nursing students additional clinical experiences, expands the teaching capacity for students, and prepares them with a hands-on learning experience without suffering real-world consequences.

     Your Committee believes that although the University of Hawaii at Manoa currently supports a simulation resource laboratory, that facility should be expanded to offer greater services and to also be utilized by Kapiolani Community College students.  Your Committee also believes that additional facilities should be established to provide training for students of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hawaii Community College, Kauai Community College, and Maui Community College.  The expansion and establishment of additional healthcare workforce simulation resource laboratories will provide necessary training to nursing students and help to grow a skilled and competent healthcare workforce within the State.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 93, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 93, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair