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AACN
SUPPORTS THE NURSE REINVESTMENT ACT AIMED AT
ADDRESSING THE NATION'S NURSING SHORTAGE
WASHINGTON,
D.C., May 1, 2001 -- The American Association of Colleges
of Nursing (AACN) announced today its support for the Nurse
Reinvestment Act introduced in the House of Representatives
by Lois Capps (D-CA) and in the Senate by John Kerry (D-MA).
With bipartisan support from 28 representatives and 23 senators,
the similar bills were created to directly address the nation's
nursing shortage across health care settings.
"As
a nurse, Representative Capps understands that when you invest
in nurses, you are really investing in improved patient care
and a stronger health care delivery system for our country,"
stated Dr. Carolyn A. Williams, president of AACN and dean
of the University of Kentucky's College of Nursing. "AACN
applauds her efforts along with Senator Kerry to enact legislation
which paves the way for a new stream of well-educated nurses
to enter the workforce."
The
Nurse Reinvestment Act provides grants to help individuals
at any level of the nursing profession obtain more education-from
entry-level nurses through doctoral candidates. Specific components
of this legislation include:
- Establishing
a National Nurse Service Corps, a staffing resource for
health care facilities with the greatest need for nursing
personnel;
- Creating
a fast-track faculty scholarship and loan repayment program
for each year of full-time attendance in a doctoral program
(House bill only);
- Expanding
internship programs for training in specialty care areas
(House bill only);
- Building
a career ladder grant program for nurse professionals and
paraprofessionals who wish to advance their education;
- Awarding
grants to schools of nursing who develop and implement gerontology
curriculum; and
- Funding
for public service announcements and support for nursing
recruitment grants for disadvantaged students.
Though
the association supports this legislation in general, AACN
is concerned about provisions in the bill that call for expanding
Medicare funding for only a limited number of nurse training
programs. Since almost 70% of today's registered nurses are
educated at colleges and universities, the association does
not believe that this provision goes far enough to address
the nursing shortage. AACN will work to expand the scope of
the bills to include all providers of entry-level nursing
education as well as to strengthen the language regarding
what constitutes a professional nurse.
"AACN
has worked closely with Representative Capps and Senator Kerry
to give the Nurse Reinvestment Act the national attention
it deserves," adds Williams. "We support this legislation
because it strengthens the education programs that play a
key role in sustaining the nation's pipeline of future nurses."
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. Web site:
http://www.aacn.nche.edu
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CONTACT:
Robert Rosseter
(202) 463-6930, x231
rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu
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