Sustain and Grow Funding for Nursing

AONL advocates for funding Nursing Workforce Development programs authorized under Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act. These programs support the supply and distribution of qualified nurses to meet our nation’s increasing health care needs. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) estimates the United States will need 2.8 million nurses by 2020, one million more than the projected supply of nurses. Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects severe shortages for many allied health professions. Hospitals and health care systems must maintain a vibrant workforce in the educational pipeline to meet the increasing demand for patient care. Title VIII programs address all aspects of nursing shortages from education and practice to retention and recruitment.

Title VIII programs bolster nursing education and fund institutions educating nurses to practice in rural and medically underserved communities. Additionally, these programs seek to increase retention of the nursing workforce through loan forgiveness programs for clinical nurses and faculty providing clinical nursing education.

Providing Care in Underserved Areas

Title VIII funding expands educational funding for nursing education to prepare registered nurses to provide care for America’s most vulnerable populations. These programs are administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the federal agency charged with improving access to health care by strengthening the health care workforce, building healthy communities and achieving health equity. HRSA awards funding to educational programs that prepare nurses to practice in rural and medically underserved communities.

Demand for Faculty

Title VIII also recognizes the importance of faculty when seeking ways to tackle our nation’s nursing shortage. Nursing schools are forced to turn away qualified applicants because they lack the necessary faculty to educate the capacity of nurses needed to meet demand. Investing in nursing workforce development programs is critical to strengthening the number of highly educated nurses to care for all Americans.

As nurse leaders, you know how detrimental cuts to nursing workforce development would be to the health care system and your patients. Urge your congressional representatives to fully fund Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs.

Key proposed changes of the bipartisan Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act

• Updating Title VIII programs to include clinical nurse specialists among the other three APRN roles

• Including the clinical nurse leader in the master’s degree programs eligible for advanced education nursing grants 

• Adding nurse-managed health clinics as entities eligible to receive Title VIII funding

• Streamlining and modernizing the nurse education, practice, quality and retention funding opportunity