DOH-Volusia Celebrates The Kickoff Of National Nurses Week

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Volusia County, FL - The Department of Health in Volusia County (DOH-Volusia) is celebrating National Nurses Week (May 6 through May 12) by recognizing the state’s nurses dedicated to keeping their communities healthy and safe.

DOH-Volusia explains that the nursing profession is incredibly diverse. Public health nurses work in clinics providing immunizations to children and adults, conduct testing for diseases and infections, and more.

Nurses often help their communities prepare for natural disasters and they often take part in relief efforts when the disaster passes. DOH-Volusia is commending the nurses who volunteered in special needs shelters during Hurricane Irma. Nurses in Volusia County staffed six special needs shelters during the storm.

According to DOH-Volusia, nurses are in high-demand. The Florida Center for Nursing (FCN) says that by 2025, the state will likely have a deficit of at least 50,300 registered nurses, or 56,000 registered nurses and 12,500 licensed practical nurses. To prevent a future shortage of nurses, DOH-Volusia entered the Nurse Licensure Compact in January 2018.

The Compact allows registered nurses and practical nurses who are licensed in one Compact state to work in any of the 27 Compact states without the need to receive additional licenses. New applicants who meet the licensure requirements as outlined in the Compact are now issued a multi-state license. Nurses who hold an active, unrestricted license in Florida will have the option to convert to their standard licenses to multi-state licenses.

More information about the Nurse Licensure Compact can be found at http://floridanursing.gov. Information about how to obtain a nursing license in Florida can be found at www.flhealthsource.gov. For more information on the Florida Department of Health, head to www.FloridaHealth.gov.

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