AACN Applauds the Introduction of the Nurse Faculty Education
Act in the U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON, DC, August 2, 2005 – The
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) applauds
the recent introduction of the Nurse Faculty Education
Act of 2005 (S. 1575) which addresses one of the leading
drivers of the nursing shortage, the insufficient supply
of nurse educators. Championed by Senators Jeff Bingaman
(D-NM) and John Cornyn (R-TX), this legislation proposes
to increase the number of doctorally-prepared nurses needed
to assume faculty positions at nursing schools nationwide
“Without increases in the number of
nurses with doctoral degrees, our nation faces serious
challenges in both the access to and quality of health
care,” said AACN President Jean E. Bartels. “While
many legislative initiatives focus directly on feeding
the pipeline of registered nurses, this legislation strategically
targets one of the most serious obstacles to preparing
future generations of nurses.”
Though interest in baccalaureate and graduate
nursing education programs remains high, not all qualified
students are being accepted at four-year colleges and
universities. In fact, AACN's fall 2004 survey found that
32,797 qualified applicants were not accepted at schools
of nursing last year due primarily to a shortage of faculty
and resource constraints. Within this total, students
turned away include 2,748 from master's programs and 202
from doctoral programs. These data are particularly disturbing
since these graduate students could have potentially served
in faculty positions after completing these advanced degree
programs.
This Nurse Faculty Education Act seeks to
increase enrollments and graduations from doctoral nursing
programs and increase the number of doctorally-prepared
nurses who serve as nurse educators. Faculty with doctoral
degrees fill critical roles since they serve as educators
of master’s and doctoral degree nursing students.
These expert educators are important to strengthening
the nursing workforce, serving as role models, and providing
the leadership needed to implement evidence-based practice
and improve patient outcomes. “Nurses with doctoral
degrees are well prepared to assume the full faculty role
and are equally positioned among their academic counterparts
who prepare students for the other health professions,”
added Dr. Bartels.
For more information on the Nurse Faculty
Education Act, including a bill summary and the actual
bill text, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/currentlegislation.htm.
For an overview of AACN’s legislative strategies
related to Nursing Workforce Development programs (Title
VIII, Public Health Service Act), see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/Docs/TitleVIIIFY06.DOC.
The American Association of Colleges
of Nursing is the national voice for university and four-year-college
education programs in nursing. Representing more than
585 member schools of nursing at public and private institutions
nationwide, AACN's educational, research, governmental
advocacy, data collection, publications, and other programs
work to establish quality standards for bachelor's- and
graduate-degree nursing education, assist deans and directors
to implement those standards, influence the nursing profession
to improve health care, and promote public support of
baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research,
and practice. Web site: http://www.aacn.nche.edu.
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