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Excerpt
Currently in Hawaii, the economy is in severe disarray. The medevac helicopter from Hana to Oahu has stopped its routine operations. Because it is dependent on state funding assistance, the Hana health center is very concerned for their continued existence. Even with the health center, pregnant women must drive many miles to Wailuku for prenatal care and hope that their labor allows them to make the trip before the birth of their child occurs. Things are better now that the road does not wash out so frequently. The new surface has reduced the number of accidents that can block passage for many hours.
"The Road to Hana" is a metaphor that depicts not only the difficulties in receiving health services in Hawaii, but also the issues related to nursing workforce analysis. Hawaii is the most remote place on earth. It is blessed with wonderful people and is a young and beautiful land filled with spirit. The Asian economic difficulties have contributed to an economic crisis in our state. Many qualified professionals are leaving for more promising futures. The state-funded university is facing another very difficult budget cut, and a number of programs will not survive. A nursing shortage has reemerged, and nurses are reluctant to move to the Hawaiian islands because of relocation costs, distance from family, and the cost of living (40% in excess of the mainland).
Resources are few, healthcare demands are great, and the potential for obtaining external resources for meeting the needs is limited. The Colleagues in Caring project, the Community Initiative on Nursing of Hawaii(CINH), gives us a timely opportunity to create new solutions for the state's healthcare and educational problems. For the first time, the CINH project has provided reliable and valid statistical information about the characteristics of the registered nurse (RN) population in Hawaii and the ability of educational institutions in the state of address workforce needs. Also, information is being obtained about the demand for nurse resources in local and regional segments of the healthcare system. This information is critical to resource management in an isolated island state that is in economic jeopardy. Stakeholders have been elated to have this information to enhance their decision making about public policy.
