AACN
Supports Increases in Funding for Nursing Education
Proposed in the President's FY 2003 Budget
AACN
Concerned about the Impact of Proposed Budget Cuts
on Health Professions Programs, SDS, AHRQ
WASHINGTON,
DC, February 20, 2002 - Today, the American Association
of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) announced its support for
the $99 million in funding for nursing programs included
in President Bush's FY 2003 proposed budget. The association,
however, does call for more federal support to address the
nursing shortage and is deeply concerned about cuts in the
health professions programs.
"We
applaud the President and the Congress as they take their
first steps toward addressing our nation's serious shortage
of nurses," said AACN President Carolyn A. Williams.
"With federal attention focused on the nursing crisis,
the time is right for the President to act decisively and
work with Congress to enact The Nurse Reinvestment Act."
The
FY 2003 budget proposal includes increases in nursing programs
administered by the Department of Health and Human Services
including an additional $5 million for the Nurse Education
Loan Repayment Program (NELRP) and an additional $44 million
for the National Health Services Corps (NHSC). The NELRP
is a loan program created to recruit and retain registered
nurses to work in communities with acute nursing shortages.
The NHSC provides scholarships for health care providers
who agree to work in underserved rural and urban areas.
Also
proposed in the President's budget is a $27.3 billion request
for the National Institutes of Health which includes a $10
million increase for the National Institute of Nursing Research
(NINR). AACN applauds this increase, but will advocate for
an additional $25 million in funding to extend NINR's efforts
to provide pre- and post-doctoral research opportunities
for nurses.
Though
nursing programs received level funding, other health professions
programs (Title VII of the Public Health Service Act) were
totally eliminated. Health professions programs were funded
at $278 million in FY 2002 and slated for a drastic cut
to $110 million in FY 2003. AACN is concerned that these
cuts will diminish the health care workforce and impact
the delivery of care to diverse, uninsured populations.
AACN is also disappointed to see the recommended cuts in
the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program,
from $46.2 million in FY 2002 to $10 million in FY 2003,
and a $49 million funding decrease for the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ). "Any cuts that negatively
impact health care delivery to our nation's neediest people,
interferes with access to education, or compromises patient
safety should be reassessed," added Dr. Williams.
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
