WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Train More Nurses Act to address the nursing shortage affecting communities across the nation. This bipartisan bill will direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to conduct a review of nursing grant programs to find ways to increase faculty at nursing schools, especially those in underserved areas. It will also increase pathways for Licensed Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses.
Nevada is experiencing a dire shortage of medical professionals. A recent analysis found that Nevada is one of the states with the least amount of nurses per capita. According to the University of Nevada Reno’s Nevada Health Workforce Research Center, it would take over 3,000 additional registered nurses for the state to catch up to the national average.
“As Nevada continues to face a shortage of nurses and doctors, it’s becoming more difficult for hardworking families to get the medical care they need,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m introducing this bipartisan bill to help increase the number of nurses in our state and improve Nevadans’ access to high-quality health care.”
“In the midst of a growing demand for medical treatments and services, health care providers across Maine continue to face a significant shortage of nurses. One challenge in growing the nursing workforce to meet this demand is the limited supply of nursing faculty available to increase student enrollment and train the next generation of nurses,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would identify strategies to close the faculty gap and expand our nursing workforce, ultimately improving access to care.”
“By investing in nursing education and creating clear pathways to employment, we can ensure that registered nurses are well-prepared to meet the demand, and that patients receive the high-quality care they deserve,” said Melodie Osborn, Chief Nursing Executive for Renown Health. “At Renown Health (Reno, NV), we’ve seen first-hand the positive impact of supporting nursing students through scholarships, apprenticeships, loan repayment, preceptorships, and advanced simulation education. Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system. We are so grateful to Senators Rosen and Collins for moving forward this bill to invest in nursing education, which is crucial to be able to have more qualified and compassionate nursing care for you and your family.”
Senator Rosen is working to address Nevada’s health care professional shortage and improve medical care access in the state. Senators Rosen and Collins’ bipartisan Maximizing Health Outcomes through Better Investments in Lifesaving Equipment for (MOBILE) Health Care Act was signed into law in 2022 to allow community health centers to use federal funds to establish new mobile health care units to increase access to health care services in rural and underserved communities. Last year, Senator Rosen pushed for more medical residency slots to be awarded to Nevada to help tackle the physician shortage. She also helped introduce the bipartisan Medical Student Education Authorization Act to address the doctor shortage by expanding the Medical Student Education Program and introduced a package of bipartisan bills aimed at addressing the shortage of doctors and dentists in Nevada and across the country.
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