Immediate Action Needed: Urge Congress to Fund the Nurse Reinvestment Act On August 1, 2002 President George W. Bush signed the Nurse Reinvestment Act into law. The American Nurses Association (ANA) fought for its passage. While this legislation marks a major victory for nursing, the fight is not over. Funding must be provided to make the intent of the law a reality. ANA needs your help to obtain funding for these programs. Please contact your Congressional delegation and request that $250 million be provided to fund the Nurse Reinvestment Act programs. The law authorizes the following provisions: - Loan repayment programs and scholarships for nursing students;
- Public service announcements to encourage more people to enter the nursing profession;
- Career ladder programs for those who wish to advance within the profession;
- Best practice grants for nursing administration as modeled after ANA/ANCC's magnet program;
- Long-term care training grants to develop and incorporate gerontology curriculum into nursing programs; and
- Fast-track faculty loan repayment program for nursing students who agree to teach at a school of nursing.
Background: - The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be openings for more than one million nursing positions between now and 2010. At the same time, the aging of the U.S. population - lead by the retirement of the baby boom generation - is expected to cause an increase in demand for nursing services. Therefore, a number of studies project a national, shortage of RNs beginning now.
- Already the nursing shortage has been tied to changes in patient care, causing emergency department overcrowding, emergency department diversions, increased wait times for surgery, discontinued patient care programs or reduced service hours, delayed discharges, and canceled surgeries. Patient care will continue to suffer as the shortage worsens.
PLEASE ACT NOW. Congress is scheduled to take action on the Appropriations bills in early September. Call 202-224-3121 and ask to speak with your Senators or Representative. | Message to Congress The growing nursing shortage will soon reach critical proportions. Now that the Nurse Reinvestment Act has become law, registered nurses and patients are relying on you to fund it. Please provide $250 million in funding for Fiscal Year 2003 to make the programs authorized in the law a reality. |
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