Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources And Services Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection:

Comment Request

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public

comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of

Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act

of 1995, Public Law 104-13), the Health Resources and Services

Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects

being developed for submission to OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act

of 1995. To request more information on the proposed project or to

obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft instruments, call

the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1891.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of

the agency, including whether the information shall have practical

utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,

utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways

to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,

including through the use of automated collection techniques or other

forms of information technology.

[[Page 6666]]

Proposed Project: The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses,

2000--NEW

The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) is carried

out to assist in fulfilling three Congressional mandates. (1) Section

951 of P.L. 94-63 requires gathering data on: (a) The number and

distribution of nurses, by type of employment and location practice;

(b) the number of nurses practicing full-time and part-time within the

U.S. and within each State; (c) the average rate of compensation for

nurses, by type of practice and location of practice; (d) the activity

status of the total number of nurses with advanced training or graduate

degrees in nursing, by specialty, including nurse practitioners, nurse

clinicians, nurse researchers, nurse educators, and nurse supervisors

and administrators; and (f) the number of nurses entering the U.S.

annually from other nations. (2) Section 806(f) of P.L. 105-392

requires discipline workforce information and analytical activities for

advanced nursing education, workforce diversity, and basic nursing

education and practice. (3) Section 792 of Title VII of the Public

Health Service Act calls for the collection and analysis of data on

health professions.

The information from this survey will serve policy makers,

legislative bodies, health professionals, and government agencies to

inform workforce policies. Data collected in this survey will assist in

determining the impact that changes in the health care system are

having on employment status of Registered nurses and their employment

settings.

The proposed survey design for the 2000 NSSRN follows that of the

previous six surveys and the projected sample size is approximately

49,200 registered nurses, with a response rate of 80%. Each respondent

will be asked to complete a self-administered mail questionnaire

containing items on educational background, duties, employment status

and setting, geographic mobility, and income.

Respondent burden is estimated as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of Responses per Hours per Total burden

Form respondents respondent response hours

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Survey...................................... 39,360 1 \1\ 20 13,120

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\1\ Minutes.

Send comments to Susan G. Queen, Ph.D., HRSA Reports Clearance

Officer, Room 14-33, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville,

MD 20857. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this

notice.

Dated: February 4, 1999.

Jane Harrison,

Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.

[FR Doc. 99-3224 Filed 2-9-99; 8:45 am]

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