Topeka ? Kansas health-care providers have had trouble recruiting nurses in the past. But Karen Miller, dean of nursing and allied health at Kansas University, said the current nursing shortage was different.

“This shortage is going to be larger,” she said. “It’s not something we can just throw money at. There just isn’t a lot of interest out there (for nursing), and it’s usually for rational reasons.”

Miller was one of several health-care officials who testified about the shortage Friday to the state’s Legislative Budget Committee.

Health-care surveys have shown about 7 percent of Kansas nursing positions are unfilled. The nationwide average is 13 percent.

With an aging population to care for and many nurses retiring, officials said Friday, the problem will only get worse. Many nurses are choosing to take better-paying jobs in other industries, and nursing school enrollments are declining.

Nursing leaders outlined the problem for legislators Friday. The next step, they said, will be finding ways to fix it.

“We assume we will have a nurse when we need one,” Miller said. “Some people are finding out already that’s not necessarily the case. When that happens, we’ll all be blamed.”

Diane Lindeman, director of financial aid for the Kansas Board of Regents, said a state program offered scholarships to nursing students who found employers that were willing to pay part of their tuition bill.

“The opportunity to pump additional money into the program is probably unlikely,” she said. “Obviously, additional funds would be desirable.”

Deborah Stern, vice president of the Kansas Hospital Assn., said even if schools had more students apply, they would need additional faculty to teach them.

Rep. Kenny Wilk, R-Lansing, suggested the group develop specific proposals for the 2003 Legislature.

“Everyone in the state knows we’ll be struggling fiscally for the foreseeable future,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we should ignore the problem.”

Sen. Paul Feleciano, D-Wichita, said he would support using portions of a tax increase to recruit nurses. He also said state colleges and universities were doing “very little” to recruit minority nurses.

“We cannot afford to wait another two or three years to address what’s happening,” he said.