Nurses are in demand and education requirements are evolving to fit the variety of jobs in the field, so nursing schools are adapting their programs to meet the changing needs. Skilled nursing facilities offer jobs for nurses with a variety of degrees, and a Hollidays­burg, Pa., nursing home has developed a partnership with the Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center.

Delaware students who are graduating with a bachelor's degree in nursing are in demand at health care facilities. Christiana Care Health System's Pamela Ridgeway said when hiring new nurses they look for graduates who are willing to learn and adapt, can showcase their dedication to caring and have a passion for excellence.

Nurses are working on research, education and advocacy initiatives related to how climate change will affect health care needs. "Nurses need to be involved in understanding how extreme heat and other climate changes are affecting patient health, especially the most vulnerable populations like the elderly, children, people with chronic conditions and people in specific occupations like outdoor work," said registered nurse Adrienne Wald, who studied emergency department usage and heat-related events for a literature review in the journal Nursing Economic$.

The University of Houston College of Nursing will use part of a $3.5 million grant from HCA Houston Healthcare to add faculty and create a simulation lab at facilities in Katy and Sugar Land, Texas. HCA Houston employs almost 7,000 registered nurses and has a program to pay tuition for eligible nurses studying for advanced degrees.

Rebecca Love, who founded HireNurses.com, has created a new group focused on nurse scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Love says failing to see nurses as innovators undermines their value and is a barrier to the transformations needed in health care.

The Kansas Nursing Grant Initiative, created in 2006 to address a shortage of nurses in the state, will give more than $1.7 million next year to 29 colleges and universities with nursing programs. Board of Regents Vice President Scott Smathers said the program has led to increasing numbers of nurses, and more needs to be done.

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