NURSING SHORTAGE TASK FORCE

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A MEMORIAL
REQUESTING THE BOARD OF NURSING TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO
ADDRESS THE NURSING SHORTAGE CRISIS.
WHEREAS, according to a study conducted by the workforce
solutions department in April 2025, there are nearly eighteen
thousand registered nurses, one thousand three hundred
licensed practical nurses and eight thousand three hundred
advanced practice nurses currently practicing in the state of
New Mexico; and
WHEREAS, nursing is the largest sector of the health
care workforce, yet there is a critical shortage of nurses in
the state, which is taxing on the state's health care
delivery systems and on access to care for state residents;
and
WHEREAS, this shortage is exacerbated by a gap in
education to meet workforce needs, and this gap is made clear
by the thousands of nursing job postings each month according
to the workforce solutions department; and
WHEREAS, even though appropriations in recent fiscal
years have been provided to fund additional nursing school
slots and faculty positions, rates of enrollment and degree
completion in nursing programs are not increasing as needed;
and
WHEREAS, approximately three thousand two hundred new
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nurses need to graduate from nursing programs every year to
meet intended nurse staffing needs by 2032, but approximately
one thousand four hundred new nurses graduated in 2025;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the board of
nursing be requested to create a task force to identify
barriers to increasing nursing graduation rates and employee
retention consisting of one member from each of the following
organizations:
A. nursing professional organizations, including
the New Mexico nurses association, the New Mexico nurse
practitioner council, the New Mexico organization of nurse
leaders and nursing unions;
B. the New Mexico hospital association;
C. the New Mexico nursing education consortium;
D. New Mexico colleges of nursing deans or
delegates;
E. post-secondary educational institutions; and
F. high school licensed practical nurse programs;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be requested
to report findings and recommendations to the appropriate
interim legislative committee that addresses health and human
services and the legislative finance committee and that the
report include:
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A. barriers to employment retention;
B. barriers to nursing educational slot expansion;
C. barriers to nursing school enrollment and
retention; and
D. recommendations to improve the nursing
educational gap to address nursing workforce needs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
transmitted to the board of nursing, the appropriate interim
legislative committee that addresses health and human services
and the director of the legislative finance committee.