HOUSE MEMORIAL 36

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Kathleen Cates and Patricia Roybal Caballero

 

 

 

 

 

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 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:

          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.

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