Bill Overview
Title: National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2022
Description: This bill sets out a pilot program to support state agencies, state boards of nursing, nursing schools, or other eligible entities with establishing or expanding state-based nursing workforce centers that carry out research, planning, and programs to address nursing shortages, nursing education, and other matters affecting the nursing workforce. The bill also expands the authority of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish health workforce research centers and specifically requires that HRSA establish a center focused on nursing.
Sponsors: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Target Audience
Population: Nurses and nursing students worldwide
Estimated Size: 4000000
- The bill aims to support the establishment or expansion of state-based nursing workforce centers which will conduct research and planning.
- Nurses across the nation will be directly impacted as the centers focus on addressing nursing shortages and education.
- The healthcare industry, and specifically facilities needing to employ nurses, will likely experience impacts due to potential alleviation of workforce shortages.
- Patients may indirectly benefit from improvements in the nursing workforce, affecting their care quality and availability.
- The bill will involve educational institutions, especially nursing schools, as key stakeholders in the training and preparation of nurses.
Reasoning
- The policy aims to support nursing workforce centers that will conduct essential research and planning to address nursing shortages, thus potentially benefiting current and future nurses primarily, with indirect benefits to the healthcare system and patients.
- The policy's impact is expected to vary across individuals, with more direct effects on nursing professionals and educational institutions involved in nurse training or workforce planning.
- Those outside the healthcare and education sectors may experience less direct impact, but could still benefit from an overall improvement in healthcare services due to eased nursing shortages.
Simulated Interviews
Registered Nurse (New York City, NY)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this policy will actually lead to solutions for our staffing problems.
- More research and support are definitely needed for nursing education.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Nursing School Educator (Cleveland, OH)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The funding for nursing workforce centers is quite crucial for educational development.
- I believe this will help attract more students into nursing.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Nursing Student (Austin, TX)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm really worried about finding a good job when I graduate, so hopefully this helps.
- Support for nursing students can make a big difference.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Health Policy Analyst (Miami, FL)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could be pivotal in addressing systemic staffing issues.
- It's an interesting move, but the budget constraints might limit its effectiveness.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Small Clinic Administrator (Rural Kansas)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We've been facing nurse shortages for years, this policy gives me hope.
- I'd like to see more direct help for rural healthcare facilities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Nurse Practitioner (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Investing in the nursing workforce is a win for public health.
- I am optimistic about new training programs but worried about their implementation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Nursing Student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 27 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More support for our education and jobs is badly needed.
- It could open up more opportunities for me when I graduate.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Retired Nurse (Chicago, IL)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Anything to help improve the nursing landscape is crucial.
- I'm glad to see focus on long-term workforce solutions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Hospital Administrator (Portland, OR)
Age: 57 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We constantly struggle with staffing, so this policy could help.
- It's vital to align these plans with on-ground realities of hospital operations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Registered Nurse (Denver, CO)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm worried about burnout, any help to get more nurses would be a relief.
- The policy promises support in expanding our workforce and that's badly needed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $4000000, High: $6000000)
Year 2: $6000000 (Low: $4800000, High: $7200000)
Year 3: $7000000 (Low: $5600000, High: $8400000)
Year 5: $8500000 (Low: $6800000, High: $10200000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The bill's success relies heavily on sufficient funding to ensure effective implementation across various states.
- Coordination between state agencies, nursing boards, and educational institutions is vital to address the multifaceted issues facing the nursing workforce.
- Ensuring that the workforce centers are adaptable to changing healthcare demands and workforce dynamics is crucial for long-term efficacy.
- Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms must be robust to assess the pilot program's outcomes and scalability.