Department of Labor awards $78 million in nurse expansion grants

The U.S. Department of Labor last week announced more than $78 million in grants to 25 public-private partnerships to support nursing workforce training programs in 17 states. The grants will increase the number of nursing instructors and educators, improve the diversity of the health care workforce and support the creation of equitable opportunities for front-line health care professionals to advance on a career pathway. Sanford Health, headquartered in Sioux Falls, S.D., received a $3 million grant to create a more sustainable nursing workforce in the rural upper Midwest. The health system will use the funding for several initiatives, including improving first-year retention for new nurses and increasing the number of nurses in the RN career pathway by expanding its paid internship programs. (Department of Labor news release, 5/11/23)