Hospitals have leaned on wage increases and contract workers as short-term solutions to the nation's nursing shortage, but these actions fail to address many of the issues that are spurring nurses to leave the bedside for roles with better hours and less stress.

A study by West Virginia University researchers found that more people of color become nurse practitioners and go on to serve people in marginalized communities when they are working in a state with full practice authority.

Washington's Senate Committee on Labor and Commerce held a public hearing on Jan. 17 for a bill that would create minimum staffing standards across the state's hospitals. Senate Bill 5236 has garnered strong support from nurses and opposition from the Washington State Hospital Association. 

Jennifer Nestor, BSN, RN, chief nursing officer at Kingwood, W.Va.-based Mon Health Preston Memorial Hospital, was appointed president-elect of the West Virginia Organization of Nursing Leadership.

St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston has named Michelle Ziakas, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer, the hospital said Jan. 17.

Here are six organizations opening or expanding nursing programs: 

Fannie Gaston-Johansson, PhD, RN, pioneering nurse educator and researcher, died Jan. 7 at 84.

After 40 years of service, a nurse at Pen Bay Medical Center, part of Portland-based MaineHealth, retired Jan. 6, the Courier-Gazette reported. 

Involving nurses in quality improvement efforts and fostering open communication among nursing staff could mitigate burnout, recent findings suggest. 

Below are 10 hospitals, health systems or hospital operators that recently posted job listings seeking chief nursing officers. 

The nursing profession continues to secure the highest assessment of ethics and honesty from Americans, according to the latest Gallup poll findings.   

A nurse staffing community is encouraging nurses who left the profession or are considering an exit to recommit as part of a new "unResignation Notice" campaign. The campaign aims to spread awareness on the workplace challenges that contributed to nurses' departures. 

Lee Health has named Iahn Gonsenhauser, MD, chief medical officer. He began the role earlier this month, the Fort Myers, Fla.-based system said in a Jan. 9 news release. 

Two Pennsylvania senators are seeking to eliminate the physician requirement for nurse practitioners, The Morning Call reported Jan. 9.

The nursing school at Lebanon, Tenn.-based Cumberland University has launched a program to offer guaranteed admission to some high school seniors. 

Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, RN, the newest president of the American Nurses Association, twitches when she hears the word resiliency.

Thirteen moves from nurses unions across the country Becker's has covered since Nov. 3: 

Many colleges and universities launched nursing programs and partnerships last year to address persistent shortages nationwide. Here are 135 nursing programs that launched or expanded in 2022:

Press Ganey, a leading healthcare performance improvement company, recognized seven hospitals for outstanding nursing Jan. 4.

Richmond, Va.-based Galen College of Nursing is opening a second campus in Roanoke in 2023, a move aimed at helping to grow Virginia's nursing workforce.