Florida Offers Low-Interest Mortgages, Student Loans To Attract Nurses to the State

In an effort to attract nurses and other health care workers to Florida and keep them there, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on Aug. 26 announced a program that will make such workers eligible for low-interest mortgages and student loans, the AP/Tallahassee Democrat reports. Calling the nursing shortage a "pending crisis," Bush said the state will need 36,000 additional nurses by 2006. He added that Florida's nurse vacancy rate is the third-highest in the nation behind California and West Virginia; 9,800 nursing positions statewide have yet to be filled (LaCorte, AP/Tallahassee Democrat, 8/27). In addition, the average age of Florida nurses is now 45, compared to an average age of 35 a decade (Cridlin, St. Petersburg Times, 8/27). To address the shortage, the state has partnered with Fannie Mae to offer 100% financing for home loans to nurses and other select health-care workers. In addition, Edsouth is offering nursing students and graduates a 1.06% interest rate -- compared to the standard 4.06% -- on student loans. The program was designed specifically for Florida and is the first program of its kind in the nation(AP/Tallahassee Democrat, 8/27). "I think this will help tremendously," Barbara Lumpkin, executive director of the Florida Nurses Association, said, adding, "If we can just nurture our current nurses along and get them this additional help over the next couple of years, I think the future's bright" (St. Petersburg Times, 8/27). In May, Bush signed legislation that allows out-of-state or Puerto Rican nurses with at least three years of experience to obtain a Florida nursing license after background checks. The measure also gave $500,000 to state middle and high schools to promote the nursing profession and allowed the Florida Department of Health to help repay some nurses' student loans (AP/Tallahassee Democrat, 8/27).

Las Vegas Aims To 'Boost' Number of LPNs
Las Vegas city officials hope that a preliminary proposal presented to the city council on Aug. 21 will "boost" the number of licensed practical nurses in the area, the Las Vegas Sun reports. The program, originally proposed in response to area layoffs after Sept. 11, is funded by a $1.75 million grant secured in January by Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The nursing component of the program would offer discounts on tuition and books for "nontraditional students" wishing to enroll in the licensed practical nursing program at Community College of Southern Nevada. In addition, city officials hope to expand the program to include 48 new students each year -- double the number currently admitted annually. Shirlee Snyder, CCSN nursing program director, said LPNs are in "high demand" because of the area's nursing shortage, and the two-year LPN program may be more appealing to those students who do not have the time or resources to complete the four-year training to become a registered nurse. Although the city had anticipated receiving the funding sooner, it is not likely to be available until January 2003 (Sahagun, Las Vegas Sun, 8/26).