“Kansas is experiencing a shortage of nurses, and the problem is larger than many think,” explained Barbara MacArthur, MN, RN, FAAN, director of the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center, based at the University of Kansas School of Nursing.

A gift to the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center during One Day One KU, the university’s annual 24 hours of giving on February 20-21, 2025, from noon to noon, can go a long way to solving the problems created by a shortage of nurses, and help facilitate a healthier Kansas for all.

The Kansas Nursing Workforce Center is an inclusive, research-based initiative that develops the information needed to educate, retain, and sustain Kansas nurses to key stakeholders, including schools, employers, associations, and government officials.

“Our focus is developing the information that measures the true impact that nurses make on the health of Kansans — their personal health, the health of their families and the viability of their communities,” said MacArthur. “Nurses care for so many Kansans, we want to support them as individuals and as team members and amplify their ability to care for all of us.”

In its first official report, “The State of Nursing in Kansas,” the Center compared data specific to the Kansas nursing workforce to that from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The information provided in the report was requested by key stakeholders during a series of statewide discussions regarding nursing shortages and workforce issues.

“What we saw was measurable and significant,” says Amy Garcia, DNP, FAAN, principal advisor of the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center and interim associate dean for faculty practice and community engagement at KU School of Nursing. “Kansans living in counties with fewer nurses have a lower quality of life and die younger. The number of nurses matters to the health and well-being of Kansans.”

Kansas needs nurses, and the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center is working to support them by raising awareness of issues facing the profession. For example, nearly all nurses living in a Kansas county that borders Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma or Colorado, will make more money by simply commuting across the state line.

“Higher pay for nurses is a key issue contributing to the low number of nurses in the state,” said MacArthur. “Our analysis found that Kansas nurses work longer hours for potentially less pay than their counterparts across state lines.”

Among other key findings: • The population of Kansas is growing more diverse, yet registered nurses in Kansas remain primarily white and female. • Although 85% of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in Kansas are actively employed in nursing, they are less likely to be actively employed in nursing than the national average. • Nursing shortages are anticipated in the future, as 29% of registered nurses and 23% of licensed practical nurses in Kansas plan to retire within the next five years. And enrollments in nursing education programs are down 39% over the last 10 years, compounding this issue.

Supporting the Center during One Day One KU will make a significant impact in bringing sustainable nursing care to all Kansans.

“We work to promote the importance — and highlight the sacrifices — of Kansas nurses to the decision makers across the state,” said Garcia. “A gift to the Center is an investment in the health of Kansas. A gift helps a nurse in rural Kansas tend to more patients. A gift allows us to continue to fight for a higher quality of life for all Kansans.”