LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The director of Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services says the agency is tackling a state nursing shortage by simplifying the licensing process.

Director Courtney Phillips and Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Tuesday that the agency has streamlined the application, improved instructions, added commonly asked questions to its website, and is encouraging nursing students to apply for their licenses prior to graduation.

Phillips says only 28 percent of the applications the department received were complete because nurses had difficulty understanding the requirements.

With the changes, Phillips says 95 percent of applications now arrive complete, and the department has increased the number it can process from 27 to 50 per week.

Ricketts says he will continue to work to ensure the government runs efficiently and with an emphasis on customer service.