Texas’ teaching hospitals are investing in multiple, in-depth strategies to support and retain their experienced nurses – a key element in solving Texas’ nurse workforce challenge. These strategies range from shared governance and telenursing to changing staffing models and using robots to handle more menial tasks, such as linen and medication delivery.

The University of Texas Medical Branch Angleton Danbury Campus rolled out use of two Moxi robots in March 2023 to support nurses, enabling them to spend 30 percent more time in direct patient care. UTMB Administrator and Associate Chief Nursing & Patient Care Services Officer at ADC Dr. Beth Reimschissel said, “it’s just a win all around. And in the end, it’s the patients who will see the most benefits.”

Filed this legislative session are two THOT-supported bills that would comprehensively address nursing education and retention, beyond growing the nursing student pipeline. Among the bills’ components, Senate Bill 2590 and House Bill 3930 would provide grants to hospitals to deploy innovations like the Moxi robots.

If passed, these bills will fill the missing piece in Texas’ nursing workforce funding strategy – investment in the clinical sites that educate nurses and that are deploying innovative delivery and operations models to retain, advance, and support existing nurses.

Listen to chief nursing officer Amy Daher, MSN, RN, NE-BC at UMC El Paso talk about what nursing innovation grants could support at her health system to alleviate nursing burdens and help retain their best-in-class nursing talent.

Read THOT’s comprehensive recommendations to address the nurse workforce shortage in Texas.

Read THOT president and CEO Maureen Milligan’s op-ed in the Austin-American Statesman on strategies needed to reverse the nurse shortage trend.