(1) The Nebraska Center for Nursing is established. The center shall address issues of supply and demand for nurses, including issues of recruitment, retention, and utilization of nurses. 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.

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(2) The primary goals for the center are:

(a) To develop a strategic statewide plan to alleviate the nursing shortage in Nebraska by:

(i) Establishing and maintaining a database on nursing supply and demand in Nebraska, including current supply and demand and future projections; and

(ii) Selecting priorities from the plan to be addressed;

(b) To convene various groups representative of nurses, other health care providers, business and industry, consumers, legislators, and educators to:

(i) Review and comment on data analysis prepared for the center;

(ii) Recommend systemic changes, including strategies for implementation of recommended changes; and

(iii) Evaluate and report the results of these efforts to the Legislature and the public; and

(c) To enhance and promote recognition, reward, and renewal activities for nurses by:

(i) Proposing and creating recognition, reward, and renewal activities; and

(ii) Promoting media and positive image-building efforts for nursing.

(3) After consultation with a statewide association representing hospitals and health systems that provide clinical nursing opportunities, the Nebraska Center for Nursing Board shall provide for the expansion of clinical training sites for nurses throughout the state, giving preference to areas that have lower numbers of registered nurses per capita compared to the state average, and shall provide for the development of programs that:

(a) Incentivize clinical nurses to become clinical nurse faculty;

(b) Incentivize nurse faculty to partner with staff nurses in the development of clinical nurse faculty;

(c) Expand simulation training for nurse clinical education; and

(d) Incentivize hospital facilities to support the center in carrying out this subsection.

(4) The Nebraska Center for Nursing shall partner with a statewide association representing a majority of hospitals and health systems in Nebraska to increase the workforce development of nurses and other health professionals by providing at least fifty million dollars per year in private investments for statewide health care workforce development.