High workloads and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic have stressed the U.S. nursing workforce, according an April 2023 report released by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has responded by announcing awards of more than $100 million to train more nurses and grow the nursing workforce. The agency said the investments will address the increasing demand for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and nurse faculty.
“Nurses are the frontline in delivering life-saving care and in keeping all of us healthy and well,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson, in a statement. “Today’s investments from the Health Resources and Services Administration demonstrate our ongoing commitment to supporting the nursing workforce, training and growing the next generation of nurses, creating career ladders for nurses, and recognizing the critical role nurses play in primary care, mental health care, and maternal healthcare”
Today’s awards focus on key priorities such as:
• Helping Licensed Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses: $8.7 million for the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention-Pathway to Registered Nurse Program which trains licensed practical nurses and licensed vocational nurses to become registered nurses.
• Training Nurses Who Will Deliver Primary Care, Mental Health Care, and Maternal Health Care:
◦ $34.8 million through the Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Program to increase the number of primary care nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified nurse midwives trained and prepared to provide primary care services, mental health and substance use disorder care, and/or maternal health care.
◦ $30 million through the Advanced Nursing Education-Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Program, to support comprehensive residency and fellowship training programs to increase the number of trained advanced practice nurses in primary care.
• Addressing the Bottlenecks in Nurse Training by Supporting More Nurse Faculty: $26.5 million through the Nurse Faculty Loan Program for award recipient schools to provide low-interest loans and loan cancellation to incentivize careers as nursing school faculty.
