Healthcare groups urge lawmakers to pass bill to grow nurse faculty 

The American Hospital Association, American Nurses Association and dozens of other groups representing healthcare professionals are urging federal lawmakers to pass newly reintroduced legislation that would expand the nation’s nursing faculty workforce and modernize nursing education. 

The Future Advancement of Academic Nursing Act, reintroduced Dec. 11 by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., would authorize $1 billion in grants to schools of nursing. The funding could be used to hire faculty, update educational infrastructure and bolster student recruitment and retention.

A lack of qualified faculty is a key driver of the nation’s nursing shortage. In 2023, more than 65,000 qualified applicants were turned away from nursing programs largely due insufficient teaching staff and clinical training sites. 

“The Future Advancement of Academic Nursing Act represents a bold and necessary investment in the future of our profession,” Jennifer Kennedy, PhD, RN, president of the American Nurses Association, said in a news release. “By strengthening nursing education and supporting the recruitment and retention of faculty, this legislation addresses one of the root causes of today’s workforce shortage. Nurses cannot meet the nation’s growing demand for care without the ability to educate and prepare the next generation. The American Nurses Association is proud to support this bill and urges Congress to act swiftly to secure the nursing workforce our patients and communities depend on.”

The bill is supported by more than 50 organizations. 

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