Congress urged to reauthorize nursing workforce development programs
The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee today held a hearing on several health care-related bills, including the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2713). Introduced by Reps. Lois Capps (D-CA) and David Joyce (R-OH), the legislation would reauthorize the Health Resources and Services Administration’s nursing workforce development programs through fiscal year 2020, and update the programs to reflect current nursing roles and practices. A coalition of 55 nursing organizations, including the AHA’s American Organization of Nurse Executives subsidiary, reiterated their support for the legislation in testimony at the hearing. “Regional demands for nursing services, coupled with an aging nursing workforce, contribute to a projected need that will outweigh supply if current entry rates into the profession continue,” the testimony states. “Therefore, it is essential that our nursing pipeline has the support of Title VIII programs to address these workforce challenges and increase the number of individuals entering into the registered nursing workforce.”