Fresno Leader

FRESNO, Calif. – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) hosted a Nursing workshop in the San Joaquin Valley, bringing together educators, healthcare providers, practitioners, and government representatives to examine issues creating a nursing shortage nationwide.“The national nursing shortage is evident in the San Joaquin Valley, and the demand for nurses is projected to grow amidst a rapid-growing population,” said Costa. “The Nursing Summit brought together healthcare providers, educators, and public servants to assess discuss ideas to address the nursing shortage. We have an opportunity to do something about this crisis now.” Among the fastest-growing region in California, the San Joaquin Valley is experiencing a severe shortage of nurses. The California Department of Public Health projects the San Joaquin Valley will need over 32,000 nurses in the next six years. The pandemic accelerated nursing workforce shortages, leaving hospitals and clinics with financial and staffing constraints. Without addressing this gap between patient demand and the healthcare workforce, many Americans will be left without access to healthcare. The 2023 Nursing workshop hosted by Congressman Jim Costa brought together over 50 participants from the healthcare, education, and public sectors. The workshop included, discussions focused on short-and-long term solutions to address shortages in the San Joaquin Valley, including:  

• Expanding nursing programs and career pathways: Creating new programs, training more students, and addressing academic shortages that prevent training programs from expanding.
• Improving clinical access for training in hospitals and clinics: Addressing limited clinical availability that impacts the number of nurses that can be trained at area colleges.
• Confronting burnout in the nursing field: Dealing with the increasing demand for nurses and the chronic workplace stress that is causing nurses to leave the workforce at an alarming rate.