AACN
Reacts to Funding for Nursing Education in the
President's FY 2004 Budget Proposal
Level
Funding Proposed for Nursing Despite Workforce and Faculty
Shortages
WASHINGTON,
DC, February 5, 2003 - Today, the American Association of
Colleges of Nursing (AACN) announced its support for $98
million in funding for nursing education programs included
in President Bush's FY 2004 budget proposal. However, the
association is disappointed that the President is recommending
only level funding for nursing programs and directed no
money to address the critical shortage of nursing faculty
as authorized in the Nurse Reinvestment Act. Further,
AACN is deeply concerned about the cuts to health professions
programs and the impact this may have on access to health
care.
"At
a time when federal priorities are focused on a possible
war with Iraq and homeland security, it is heartening to
see the President acknowledge the need to address the nursing
shortage and fund nursing education programs," said
AACN President Kathleen Ann Long. "Though we are thankful
to have been spared funding cuts, we are concerned that
funding levels are still not set high enough given the magnitude
of the nursing crisis and dire need for nursing school faculty."
The proposed $98 million to fund nursing education programs
administered by the Department of Health and Human Services
includes $72 million for basic workforce development and
diversity enhancement programs and $26 million for advanced
nursing education. "Since Advanced Education Nursing
Grants support the majority of programs that prepare graduate-level
nurses for faculty positions, AACN is very concerned that
the proposed funding will further limit the available pool
of nursing faculty and constrain efforts to adequately address
the workforce shortage," added Dr. Long.
The President's budget includes $7 million for a newly authorized
scholarship program, a provision of the recently enacted
Nurse Reinvestment Act, which will help reduce the
financial barrier to a nursing education. The budget also
includes an increase of $24 million over existing funding
for the National Health Service Corps, a federal program
that provides scholarships for health care providers who
agree to work in underserved rural and urban areas.
Also
proposed in the President's budget is $27.9 billion for
the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which includes
a $5 million increase for the National Institute for Nursing
Research. AACN commends this increase, but supports the
Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research Funding in recommending
a 10% funding increase for NIH in FY 2004.
Though
nursing programs received level funding in the budget proposal,
other Title VII health professions programs were completely
eliminated. In FY 2003 the President proposed a $110 million
cut in these programs and has proposed the same funding
level for FY 2004. These dramatic cuts will diminish the
health care workforce and impact the delivery of care to
diverse, uninsured populations. AACN is also disappointed
to see the proposed cut of $36.2 million from the Scholarships
for Disadvantaged Students program and a funding target
for the Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality that
is still $20 million below the FY 2002 level.
"We
encourage congressional leaders to reassess the proposed
cuts in Title VII programs and consider how the diminished
funding will impact Americans most at-risk and in need of
health care services," said Dr. Long.
The American Association of Colleges
of Nursing is the national voice for university and four-year-college
education programs in nursing. Representing more than 580
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.
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CONTACT: Robert Rosseter
(202) 463-6930, x231
rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu
