S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                   321

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 5, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced by Sens. MONTGOMERY, DUANE, HASSELL-THOMPSON, KRUEGER, OPPEN-
  HEIMER  --  read  twice  and  ordered  printed, and when printed to be
  committed to the Committee on Higher Education

AN ACT directing the board of regents and the state education department
  to investigate the scope of nursing education programs and develop   a
  model  for  improved  articulation of the education program for career
  mobility from one classification to another

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Short title.  This act shall be known and may be cited as
the "development of model for articulation and career mobility act".
  S 2. Legislative findings and intent. The  legislature  hereby  recog-
nizes  the  need  to increase the pool of available nursing resources to
meet the increased demands on the health care delivery system. The  more
complex  nature  of  illnesses, constraints on reimbursement, pressuring
accelerated treatment and earlier patient discharge,  the  explosion  of
technology,  and  requirements for intense monitoring for quality assur-
ance, may be diverting nurses  from  the  bedside  into  early  burnout,
retirement  or  employment  elsewhere.  The  state's  nursing  education
program, encompassing nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses  and
licensed  (registered)  nurses  should  be better articulated for career
mobility in order to make the  nursing  profession  more  attractive  to
individuals  and  for  recruiting  and retaining qualified nurses in the
health care delivery system.
  S 3. The board of regents  and  the  state  education  department,  in
consultation with  the department of health shall:
  (1) investigate current education programs for nurses in all settings,
such  as  high schools, vocational-technical schools, community colleges
and universities, to identify the scope of nursing education programs in
the state;

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD00371-01-1

S. 321                              2

  (2) ensure that the investigation  of  nursing  programs  be  directed
toward  identifying  current  articulation  programs,  determining which
factors contribute to success or failure, and sharing  such  information
with schools;
  (3)  develop  a  model  for articulation and career mobility to enable
nurses at every level of the profession to progress to higher levels and
advance their professional status by integrating into a recognized nurs-
ing curriculum; and
  (4) develop models for innovative nursing education programs that will
encourage flexibility in classroom hours, in education program schedules
and through satellite locations, and at clinical  practice  settings  so
that  individuals  throughout the state have greater access to a nursing
education program.
  S 4. The board of regents and the  state  education  department  shall
present  their final findings  and recommendations to the legislature on
January 1, 2013.
  S 5. This act shall take effect immediately.