(1) There is established the Florida Center for Nursing to address issues of supply and demand for nursing, including issues of recruitment, retention, and utilization of nurse workforce resources. The Legislature finds that the center will repay the state’s investment by providing an ongoing strategy for the allocation of the state’s resources directed towards nursing.
(2) The primary goals for the center shall be to:
(a) Develop a strategic statewide plan for nursing manpower in this state by:
1. Conducting a statistically valid biennial data-driven gap analysis of the supply and demand of the health care workforce. The center shall:
a. Establish and maintain a database on nursing supply and demand in the state, to include current supply and demand.
b. Analyze the current and future supply and demand in the state and the impact of this state’s participation in the Nurse Licensure Compact under s. 464.0095.
2. Developing recommendations to increase nurse faculty and clinical preceptors, support nurse faculty development, and promote advanced nurse education.
3. Developing best practices in the academic preparation and continuing education needs of qualified nurse educators, nurse faculty, and clinical preceptors.
4. Collecting data on nurse faculty, employment, distribution, and retention.
5. Piloting innovative projects to support the recruitment, development, and retention of qualified nurse faculty and clinical preceptors.
6. Encouraging and coordinating the development of academic-practice partnerships, including partnerships with hospitals which provide opportunities for nursing students to obtain clinical experience, to support nurse faculty employment and advancement.
7. Developing distance learning infrastructure for nursing education and advancing faculty competencies in the pedagogy of teaching and the evidence-based use of technology, simulation, and distance learning techniques.
(b) Enhance and promote recognition, reward, and renewal activities for nurses in the state by:
1. Promoting nursing excellence programs such as magnet recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center;
2. Proposing and creating additional reward, recognition, and renewal activities for nurses; and
3. Promoting media and positive image-building efforts for nursing.
(c) Convene various groups representative of nurses, other health care providers, business and industry, consumers, lawmakers, and educators to:
1. Review and comment on data analysis prepared for the center;
2. Recommend systemic changes, including strategies for implementation of recommended changes; and
3. Evaluate and report the results of these efforts to the Legislature and other entities.
(3) The Board of Nursing shall include on its initial and renewal application forms a question asking each nurse to voluntarily contribute to funding the Florida Center for Nursing in addition to paying the fees imposed at the time of licensure and licensure renewal. Revenues collected from nurses over and above the required fees shall be transferred from the Medical Quality Assurance Trust Fund to the Grants and Donations Trust Fund within the Department of Health and shall be used solely to support and maintain the goals and functions of the center. Before giving a nurse the opportunity to contribute to funding the center at the time of licensure renewal, the Board of Nursing shall provide the nurse with a summary of the center’s work, a link to the center’s Internet website, and the following statement: “The Florida Center for Nursing’s operating revenues are derived in part from your donation. In order for the Florida Center for Nursing to continue its work on behalf of nurses, please donate.”
(4) The center may request from the board, and the board must provide to the center upon its request, any information held by the board regarding nurses licensed in this state or holding a multistate license pursuant to s. 464.0095 or information reported to the board by employers of such nurses, other than personal identifying information.
(5) No later than each January 10, the center shall submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives providing details of its activities during the preceding calendar year in pursuit of its goals and in the execution of its duties under subsection (2), including a nursing education program report. The center shall annually update the report no later than February 10, to include data related to the NCLEX examination.
History.—s. 97, ch. 2001-277; s. 1, ch. 2002-229; s. 6, ch. 2004-245; s. 5, ch. 2008-19; s. 1, ch. 2009-145; s. 11, ch. 2016-139; s. 3, ch. 2022-154; s. 14, ch. 2023-81; s. 2, ch. 2023-158.
