President's 2009 Budget Cuts Will Increase Nurse and Nurse Educator Shortages Says the National League for Nursing
Reacting to President Bush's latest proposed budget cuts for nurse workforce development, the NLN today reiterated its grave concern about the effect these draconian cuts will have on our nation's health. This 2009 decrease of funding of $46 million (or 29.6 percent) for the Nursing Workforce Development programs authorized by Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act is more hazardous than ever for the overall well-being of the nation.
Title VII Health Professions Programs Funding Eliminated
New York, NY (PRWEB) February 5, 2008 -- Reacting to President Bush's latest proposed budget cuts for nurse workforce development, the NLN today reiterated its grave concern about the effect these draconian cuts will have on our nation's health. "Here we go again," said NLN CEO Dr. Beverly Malone. "This 2009 decrease of funding of $46 million (or 29.6 percent) for the Nursing Workforce Development programs authorized by Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act is more hazardous than ever for the overall well-being of the nation."
"Title VII's health professions programs are an essential component of the nation's health care safety net," added NLN president, Dr. Elaine Tagliareni. "They represent, along with Title VIII, the only federal programs designed to train providers in interdisciplinary settings to meet the needs of special and underserved populations, and increase minority representation in the health care workforce."
The House and Senate proposed budget for fiscal year 2008 that wended its way through Congress throughout 2007 recognized the indisputable connection between the persistent shortage of nurses and the severe shortage of nurse faculty. The bill included additional spending for nursing workforce development programs authorized by Title VIII only to be vetoed by President Bush when the Department of Health and Human Services FY 2008 appropriations first came to the president for signing.
"The numbers haven't improved since we successfully battled the president's 2008 cuts to nurse workforce development programs, subsequently restored by Congress," asserted Dr Tagliareni. "One in five nurse educators are still planning to retire in the next three to five years, the NLN/Carnegie Foundation National Survey of Nurse Educators documented. The Human Resources and Services Administration now projects that, absent aggressive intervention, the American RN workforce will fall 36 (up from 29) percent below requirements by the year 2020."
Concluded Dr. Malone, "As the voice for nursing education and nurse educators, the National League for Nursing will continue to advocate for the increased investment in nurse workforce development that is essential for the prosperity and health of all Americans."
Editors and reporters: For interview opportunities, please contact Jane Rosen at 201-906-7339.
Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 25,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members who represent all types of nursing education programs.
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