FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – There is new hope to help end the current shortage of nurses across the state and Central Valley.
With the newly signed law authored by Valley Assemblyman Jim Patterson.
The law addresses the current nursing shortage by offering retired nurses a way back into the field.
“We all know California has a chronic shortage of nurses oftentimes when we’re in flu seasons and people are increasingly sick and not having them causes long wait lines,” said Assemblyman Jim Patterson.
The law has lowered the requirements for retired nurses to come out of retirement and go back to work.
“There are lots of nurses who are retired who want to get back into nursing but the high cost of continuing education requirement and the high cost of getting their license renewed again has kept them out.”
The bill would allow former registered nurses in the state whose licenses expired less than eight years ago to go back to work in hospitals and medical facilities under a new special license
The new license would not require additional classes and would have a discounted license fee.
However, it would require nurses with specialized licenses to work under the supervision of an active licensed nurse.
Patterson says this is an immediate solution to a long-term problem.
“This bill as it’s written right now would be able to help 30 thousand retired nurses,” said Patterson.
Patterson says he is looking at other options to help address other healthcare worker shortages in the state.
