A Medical Device Daily

As part of its ongoing commitment to help alleviate the nursing shortage in Washington, The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing's Future hosted the "Promise of Nursing for Washington" event in Seattle this week to raise funds to help ease the shortage throughout the region. One hundred percent of the event's proceeds will support regional nursing school grants, faculty fellowships and student scholarships.

Area nurses and healthcare professionals from regional hospitals and institutions attended the event at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront hotel. Promise of Nursing for Washington events are expected to have raised more than $750,000.

"We are currently faced with a looming shortage of nursing professionals in Washington that will only intensify as the population ages and the demand for healthcare increases," said Barbara Trehearne, RN, PhD, executive director nursing/chief nurse officer Hospital System at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle and a member of the event steering committee. "This crisis will continue to escalate, putting additional demands on the healthcare system and adversely impacting our ability to provide nursing care to the citizens of Washington. This event will make a considerable impact on the health of our state and our ability to support the need for additional nurses and nursing faculty."

According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington is expected to suffer a nursing shortfall rate of almost 44%, more than 26,100 nurses, by the year 2020.