As part of its ongoing commitment to help alleviate the nursing shortage in Maryland and across the United States, The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future will host the “Promise of Nursing for Maryland” gala on Thursday, September 24 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 health care professionals from local hospitals and institutions will attend the event at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel beginning at 6 p.m. to celebrate the nursing profession. Following tomorrow night’s event, Promise of Nursing for Maryland events are expected to have raised more than $500,000.
“We are experiencing a shortfall in the number of nursing professionals in Maryland, and that shortage is expected to worsen exponentially as the population ages and the demand for health care increases,” said Steven Cohen, special advisor, administration and performance improvement at MedStar Health. “There is a critical need for more registered nurses in our health care system, so efforts like the Promise of Nursing gala, which help boost nurses and nursing education locally, are incredibly important.”
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Maryland is expected to suffer a nursing shortfall rate of almost 36 percent, more than 18,200 nurses, by the year 2020.