ICYMI: Rosen Bipartisan Bill to Address Nursing Shortage Advances Out of Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen’s (D-NV) bipartisan Train More Nurses Act to address the nursing shortage advanced out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. This bipartisan legislation will direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to conduct a review of all nursing grant programs to find ways to increase faculty at nursing schools, particularly in underserved areas. It will also increase pathways for Licensed Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses.

Nevada Independent: Rosen’s nursing shortage bill passes out of committee

By Gabby Birenbaum

Key Points:

  • A new bipartisan bill introduced by Rosen to alleviate nursing shortages passed out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Thursday.
  • The Train More Nurses Act, which Rosen partnered on with Republican Sens. Mike Braun (IN) and Susan Collins (ME), would mandate that relevant federal agencies study existing grant programs to identify strategies for increasing faculty at nursing schools.
  • “The shortage of nurses in Nevada is hurting families’ ability to get the care they need,” Rosen said in a statement.
  • The bill was praised by the presidents of UNLV and UNR and nurses in leadership positions. It would also make it easier for licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to become registered nurses (RNs).

Las Vegas Sun: Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen introduces bill to train more nurses in underserved areas

By Casey Harrison

Key Points:

  • A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including Democrat Jacky Rosen of Nevada, has introduced a bill to address nursing shortages in underserved communities.
  • It would direct the secretaries of Health and Human Services and Labor to review nursing grant programs nationally and find ways to increase faculty at nursing schools, particularly in underserved areas, according to Rosen’s office.
  • “The shortage of nurses in Nevada is hurting families’ ability to get the care they need,” Rosen said in a statement. “Nevada families deserve to have access to reliable, quality medical care, which is why I’m introducing bipartisan legislation to tackle this shortage and help increase the number of nurses in our state.”
  • “This proposed legislation takes significant steps to improve the quality and availability of nursing education while addressing workforce shortages, particularly in underserved areas,” UNLV President Keith Whitfield said in a statement.
  • President Joe Biden in October signed into law a bill sponsored by Rosen, Collins and Nevada U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, which allows community health centers to use federal funds to establish mobile health units to provide health services in rural and underserved communities.
  • Rosen has also introduced bills this year to expand medical residencies in areas with doctor shortages and to pause student loan repayments for medical and dental students serving in residencies or internships.

Asian Journal: Rosen, Collins, Braun, Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Address Nursing Shortage

Key Points: 

  • Every county in Nevada is experiencing a shortage of medical professionals, and 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 an additional 4,000 registered nurses to catch up to the national average.
  • This bipartisan legislation will direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to conduct a review of all nursing grant programs to find ways to increase faculty at nursing schools, particularly in underserved areas. It will also increase pathways for Licensed Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses.

KTVN Reno: Rosen introduces legislation to address Nevada’s nursing shortage

Reporter: “Senator Jacky Rosen is joining other lawmakers to introduce a bill that aims at addressing the nursing shortage nationwide […] This bill would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to review all nursing grant programs so they can find ways to increase staff at nursing schools and help increase pathways for licensed practical nurses to become registered. Back in June, Senator Rosen visited Fallon where she said that Western Nevada College will receive a $2.3 million grant to help the school prepare students to become nurses.”

KNPR Las Vegas: Rosen introduces bipartisan legislation to address nursing shortage

Reporter: “Bipartisan legislation to address the nursing shortage was introduced in Washington by Nevada’s U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, and Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, as well as others. The Train More Nurses Act will direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to conduct a review of all nursing grant programs and identify ways to increase faculty at nursing schools, especially in underserved areas. It will also increase pathways for Licensed Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses. Senator Rosen says, quote, “every county in Nevada is experiencing a shortage of medical professionals.”

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