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Reps. Stevens and Joyce Introduce the Stop Nurse Shortages Act

October 18, 2022

Washington, DC– Today, Reps. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and David Joyce (R-OH) introduced the Stop Nurse Shortages Act. This legislation helps fight the national nurse shortage by authorizing a $10 million/year grant program to help nursing schools create, expand or support an accelerated nursing degree program.

“Nurses are heroes. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, they have selflessly served on the frontlines, ensuring patients receive the care they deserve. We need more of these heroes.” said Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). “Unfortunately, retirement, pandemic-related burnout, and other factors have caused many nurses to leave the workforce, exacerbating the nurse shortage in the United States. The Stop Nurse Shortages Act tackles this issue by providing resources to create and expand accelerated nursing programs, removing barriers for entry for those with undergraduate degrees in other disciplines who are interested in entering the nursing field. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation that fights the national nurse shortage, supports our current health care providers, and inspires future ones.” 

“The bottom line is that any challenge facing our nation’s nurses hurts the health and wellbeing of the American people,”said Rep. Joyce (R-OH), Co-Chair of the Congressional Nursing Caucus. “If we don’t come together to fight the ongoing nursing shortage, America’s patient population will pay the price. That’s why I’m proud to reach across the aisle to introduce the Stop Nurse Shortages Act. We must ensure that those who are interested in pursuing a career in nursing have access to the high-quality education and training opportunities necessary to do so. This bipartisan bill does just that.”

“Ensuring a robust supply of registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses is essential to maintaining the health of our nation,” said Dr. Cynthia McCurren, Board Chair for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). “Academic nursing leaders applaud Rep. Haley Stevens for introducing the Stop Nurse Shortages Act, which will help expand capacity in schools of nursing while providing much needed financial assistance to future nurses.”

“Accelerated programs provide an efficient pathway to preparing new registered nurses in both baccalaureate and master’s programs,” said Dr. Deborah Trautman, AACN President and Chief Executive Officer. “By increasing federal support for these programs, Congress can make a real difference in addressing the nursing shortage by increasing the number of well-qualified nurses available to provide care and keep patients safe.”  

“On behalf of almost 1,100 schools of nursing and nearly 45,000 members, the National League for Nursing applauds Rep. Stevens for her leadership in proposing this important measure to address our nation’s nursing shortage,” said Dr. Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, President and Chief Executive Officer, National League for Nursing. “The “Stop Nurse Shortages Act” will make a vital contribution in supporting accelerated degree programs to assist students, expand clinical training opportunities, and help schools of nursing recruit and retain the faculty essential to address the critical workforce shortages exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful for her leadership and look forward to working with her to pass this legislation.” 

“The shortage of nurses is disrupting our entire health care system. Michigan hospitals welcome every effort to increase the availability of education opportunities for those who wish to join the high-skilled career of nursing,” said Brian Peters, Chief Executive Officer, Michigan Health & Hospital Association.“The MHA applauds this comprehensive effort to fund capacity, faculty, and student financial assistance for accelerated training programs.”

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 194,500 average annual openings for registered nurses (RNs) between 2021 and 2031. In 2020, the average age for RNs was 52 years old with more than twenty percent planning to retire within the next five years. In 2021 U.S. nursing schools turned away 91,938 qualified applications from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs due to an insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, clinical preceptors, and budget constraints. In addition, a total of 1,965 faculty vacancies were identified in a survey of 935 nursing schools with baccalaureate and/or graduate programs across the country.

One solution to ensure sufficient supply of qualified RNs is through accelerated nursing programs, which allow individuals with previous undergraduate degrees in non-nursing fields to fast-track programmatic objectives while maintaining the same number of clinical hours as their counterparts in traditional nursing programs.  While different by institution, fast-track baccalaureate programs take roughly 11 and 18 months to complete and roughly 3 years for a master’s degree.  The Stop Nurse Shortages Act will provide grants to these nursing schools to hire and retain faculty and preceptors, increase the number of clinical training sites, and offer financial assistance to students. Bill summary here. 

The Stop Nurse Shortages Act is endorsed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, the National League for Nursing, and the Michigan Hospital Association. 

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