(a)  The Legislature hereby finds and declares that an adequate supply of professional vocational nurses is critical to assuring the health and well-being of the citizens of California, particularly those who live in medically underserved areas, and that changes in the health care system of this state have increased the need for more highly skilled vocational nurses.

(b)  The Legislature further finds and declares that in March 2002, the California Association of Health Facilities indicated that there is a shortage of 3,500 vocational nurses in long-term care facilities and estimates that 28,000 additional vocational nurses will be needed in long-term care over the next 10 years, that recently published reports indicate that vocational nurses now comprise almost 30 percent of the nation’s total number of nurses and that the national vacancy rate in hospitals was about 13 percent, and that according to the California Association of Psychiatric Technicians, an additional 800 psychiatric technicians are needed due to expanding health facilities.

(c)  The Legislature further finds and declares that in vocational nursing, as in other professions, certain populations are underrepresented. The Legislature also finds and declares that it is especially important that vocational nursing care be provided in a way that is sensitive to the sociocultural variables that affect a person’s health. The Legislature recognizes that the financial burden of attending a school of vocational nursing is considerable and that persons from families lacking adequate financial resources may need financial assistance to complete their studies.

(d)  The Legislature further finds and declares that approximately 54.1 percent of all Californians live in rural and urban areas that have been designated underserved. The shortage of vocational nurses in these areas makes it more difficult for those citizens to obtain health care and more difficult to attract and retain other health care professionals to those areas.

(Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 640, Sec. 20. Effective January 1, 2004. Section operative July 1, 2004, pursuant to Section 128501.)