Recognizing Nurses for their Contributions
During National Nurses Week, Governor Susana Martinez and the New Mexico Department of Health recognize nurses for their contributions to the health care workforce and for helping keep New Mexico families healthy.
“Our nurses are an essential part of our healthcare workforce, and they deserve our recognition,” said Governor Susana Martinez. “Every day, nurses put New Mexicans first by providing them with the high-quality care that they need and deserve. This week, we honor and recognize them for keeping our families healthy.”
As New Mexico’s healthcare system continues to change, demand for healthcare professionals continues to grow. Governor Martinez has focused on bolstering New Mexico’s healthcare workforce to lead in the face of these challenges. Last year, the Governor established and implemented a number of initiatives to create healthcare jobs throughout the state, including several specifically geared toward nursing.
Last year, Governor Martinez brought nursing and higher education stakeholders together to establish a common nursing curriculum, and signed legislation that requires the state to expedite licensure of any qualified nurse or nurse practitioner who wants to move to New Mexico. New Mexico also offers full, independent practice and prescriptive authority for licensed nurse practitioners, and was the first state in the nation to establish family nurse practitioners. This model has become an example for other states across the country. Additionally, the Governor also secured more than $1 million to increase the number of nurse practitioners at the University of New Mexico by 24 students a year.
Last month, the Governor signed legislation expanding access to the Nurse Educator Fund to help pay off student loan debt for nurses who go back to school to teach the next generation of healthcare professionals.
“Nurses are an essential part of New Mexico’s health care workforce. They provide critical services to patients,” said Department of Health Secretary Retta Ward, MPH. “What many people don’t realize is that aside from direct patient care, nurses also play a critical role in designing and implementing quality improvement plans to improve patient outcomes.”
The New Mexico Department of Health has about 530 nursing positions statewide working in variety of settings, including health facilities, public health, epidemiology, developmental disabilities, and healthcare facility licensure.
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La Gobernadora Susana Martinez y NMDOH Reconocen al Personal de Enfermería por sus Contribuciones