In an effort to address the current nursing workforce shortage, legislators recently reintroduced a bill to provide immediate funding for nursing educational needs. The Future Advancement of Academic Nursing or FAAN Act (H.R.7266/S.3770) would allocate $1 billion toward nursing schools. Senate Nursing Caucus Co-Chair Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and House Nursing Caucus Vice Co-Chair, and nurse Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) introduced the bill.
Legislative Support
“Nurses provide critically important care that keeps our families and communities healthy. As one of the few nurses serving in Congress, I’ve always been committed to advancing policies that strengthen our nursing workforce,” said Underwood.” The $1 billion investment in nursing schools would grow the nursing workforce and expand and diversify the nursing pipeline in underserved and rural areas.
Merkley, who is married to a nurse, said nurses on the frontlines need assistance.
“I know the sacrifices that are made to care for patients and to keep our medical centers up and running. We must do everything we can to support our nursing workforce, just as they support each and every one of us, and the FAAN Act is just one way we can help achieve this commitment by invigorating nursing education.”
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) applauded FAAN’s introduction. “With an insufficient nursing workforce and ongoing healthcare challenges, now is the time to support our accredited schools of nursing, our faculty, and our students who will be future frontline providers,” said Dr. Cynthia McCurren, Chair of AACN’s Board of Directors. “I am proud to see Congress take action to support academic nursing.
If passed, the FAAN Act would:
- Fund nursing school student enrollment and retainment
- Expand school capacity
- Support nursing school and health facility partnerships for added clinical education
- Modernize educational infrastructure
- Enhance and expand nursing programs
- Establish nurse-led intradisciplinary and interprofessional educational partnerships
- Support additional investments to further nursing school development
According to the AACN, for the first time since 2001, master’s program enrollments were down by 3.8 percent or 5,766 students in 2021 compared to 2020.
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