U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) on April 4 sponsored a bipartisan bill to expand authority under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to offer loan repayment and scholarship programs that would allow nurses to practice in healthcare facilities experiencing critical nurse shortages.
“In the coming years, our nation will face a critical nursing shortage as baby boomers age into retirement and require more healthcare services,” Sen. Young said recently. “Shortages are already being felt in our underserved rural and urban areas who are in dire need of caregivers.”
Sen. Young introduced the Nursing Where It’s Needed (Nursing WIN) Act, S. 1045, with cosponsor U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) to address the nation’s high demand for qualified nurses in underserved areas.
“We must address this lack of qualified professionals now by incentivizing nurses to practice in the communities where they are needed most,” said Sen. Young.
If enacted, S. 1045 would allow nurses at any healthcare facilities with critical nursing shortages to benefit from the federal NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program, which pays for 60 percent of unpaid nursing education debt for a registered nurse or advanced practice registered nurse in exchange for two years of service in a critical shortage facility.
Since 2007, participation in the congressionally created program has been limited to public or non-profit facilities.
S. 1045 would expand participation regardless of a facility’s tax status, Sen. Young said.
The measure, which has garnered the support of the American Hospital Association and the Federation of American Hospitals, is under consideration by the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.