Hospitals and nursing facilities around the country are getting more dramatic in their efforts to attract new employees in the face of a worsening nurse shortage, according to a recent report.

Sen. Herb Kohl's (D-WI) new bill, "Retooling the Health Care Workforce for an Aging America Act of 2008," garnered strong praise Thursday from the nation's top nursing home advocates.

An extensive new bill introduced Wednesday by Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Aging, addresses the workforce crisis. It would provide funding and expand training in geriatrics and long-term care for healthcare workers.

A total of 20% of nurses--or 1 in 5--use electronic health records. Facilities where use of EHR by nurses is prevalent are more likely to report nursing excellence and improved quality of care, according to a recent study.

One nursing association is continuing to push for federal funding for professional nursing programs in light of a recent study that reveals a dire nurse faculty shortage at nursing schools.

Congress should enact reforms that bolster the long-term care workforce and help address the nursing shortage, the American Health Care Association told lawmakers Monday.

The rate of smoking among nurses fell significantly between 1976 and 2003--but the consequences of the habit are still devastating, a new report found.

Staff recruitment and retention issues are the biggest headaches for directors of nursing. That is according to the latest edition of the Senior Care Digest Interdisciplinary Report released this week.

Long-term care providers, who frequently suffer employee turnover rates near 100% annually, have three new resources designed to reduce workforce turnover. The new tools, which were announced Monday by the Better Jobs Better Care Coalition, also can help providers find new employees and create a better work environment for the staff they already have, researchers said.

Registered nurses are the least satisfied healthcare professionals, according to Press Ganey's Check-Up Report: Employee and Nurse Perspectives on American Health Care Organizations.