FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2001
CONTACT:
Cindy Price, 202-651-7038
Hope Hall, 202-651-7027
rn=realnews@ana.org
www.nursingworld.org/rnrealnews
American Nurses Association Applauds Introduction of Nursing Employment and Education Development (NEED) Act
Washington, DC -- The American Nurses Association (ANA) applauds Senators Tim Hutchinson (R-AR) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and their colleagues regarding the introduction of the Nursing Employment and Education Development (NEED) Act, a bill aimed at alleviating a growing shortage of nurses in the United States.
ANA President Mary Foley, MS, RN, hailed the introduction of the legislation, stating that it "will go a long way toward attracting young people into the nursing profession and should help sidestep a looming shortage that will soon reach crisis proportions, if left unabated."
Employers at hospitals, home health agencies, nursing facilities and other providers across the nation have been experiencing a critical shortfall in nurse staffing. Areas hardest hit include emergency room, critical care, labor and delivery, and long-term care units.
One reason behind the emerging nurse shortage is the lack of young people entering the nursing profession – enrollments in undergraduate nursing programs have declined 17 percent since 1995. And current projections show that the number of nurses per capita will fall 20 percent below requirements by the year 2020. In addition, an increasing number of nurses are leaving the profession as a result of serious problems in the workplace, including the use of mandatory overtime and related staffing practices. The shortage is also being fueled by the rapid aging of the RN workforce and the impending health care needs of the baby boom generation.
“If nothing is done to address this shortage, America will soon find itself without adequate numbers of nurses to care for its rapidly aging population," Foley said. "That's why the NEED Act is so crucial. The funding for education provided by this legislation will help to boost nursing school enrollments and will encourage existing nurses to go back to school and increase their levels of education."
Foley added that ANA is particularly pleased by the combination of scholarships, loan repayments and innovative recruitment techniques contained in this bill. "ANA agrees with the underlying premise of the bill, which asserts that the solution to the nursing shortage lies in the further development of our nation’s existing nurse population and the cultivation of our youth into this very worthwhile profession," she said.
"As the association representing all levels of professional nursing, ANA is proud to support this bill," Foley added. "Coupled with much needed improvements in the working environment for nursing, the NEED bill will, in the end, contribute to better patient outcomes and a stronger nursing profession. We look forward to working with members of Congress and the nursing community to secure its passage."
# # #
The American Nurses Association is the only full-service professional organization representing the nation's nearly 2.7 million Registered Nurses through its 54 constituent associations. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.
Sign up to receive ANA Press Releases by e-mail Other past press releases:2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996
 |
||||
| Search | Contact ANA | Join/Renew Membership | Members Only | Online CE |
NursingInsider Special Offersnursesbooks.org
© 2008 The American Nurses Association, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Copyright Policy | Privacy Statement | ||||