Sen. Cortese's Response to his SB 1015 - Addressing Nurse Workforce Shortage - Being Signed Into Law

SAN JOSE, CA – Senator Dave Cortese issued the following statement regarding his Senate Bill 1015 (SB 1015) being signed into law by Governor Newsom.  

“As California’s population ages and becomes increasingly more diverse, we will need a qualified and experienced nursing workforce to meet the unique demands and varied needs of all patients. That is why we must have appropriate nurse staffing levels which have proven to reduce mortality rates, reduce hospital length of stays, and reduce the number of preventable events such as falls and infections,” said Senator Cortese, member of the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee. “SB 1015 ensures we are on the right path to meet the nursing demands of today and tomorrow head on.”

“We commend Governor Newsom for signing SB 1015 into law. This is a commonsense reform that will help ensure aspiring nurses across the state can access clinical education, which is an essential part of any nurse’s education,” said Michelle Vo, Registered Nurse and California Nurses Association President. “Nursing students, especially students at public programs, are being denied access to clinical placements. With increased transparency and increased oversight by the Board of Registered Nursing, this bill will help ensure equitable access to nursing education for nursing students across our state, no matter their background or the school they were able to afford.”

An estimated 92 out of 152 nursing education programs across California have had difficulty in accessing clinical education for their students at clinical sites contributing to the state’s anticipated shortage of about 36,000 licensed nurses. SB 1015 will address the nursing workforce shortage by requiring the Board of Registered Nurses (BRN) to provide an annual report to the Legislature on clinical nursing placement management and coordination. It will further initiate the development of clinical placement standards to ensure fair and equitable access to clinical placements among approved nursing programs.

Senator Dave Cortese represents Senate District 15, which encompasses San Jose and much of Santa Clara County in the heart of Silicon Valley. Visit Senator Cortese’s website: https://sd15.senate.ca.gov

###