Legislation in Nursing
As the demand for more registered nurses increases in reaction to the aging population combined with the increasing chronic conditions, nurses in the U.S. came together to urge lawmakers to reauthorize the workforce development programs to safeguard the future of healthcare. One of the legislation that was passed as a result of this advocacy is the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act (H.R. 728). This Act was passed in 2019 to update and improve programs as well as reauthorize funding for nursing education through 2024. The bill, which is the largest source of federal funding for nurse education, supports instruction in nursing from entry to graduate levels. The American Nurses Association claimed that this Act would be essential to healthcare (Duquesne University, 2019).
Patients have a higher risk of longer hospital stays, avoidable injuries, and increased infections when units are understaffed. Understaffing is also linked to increased rates of burnout and damage, as well as reduced nurse retention (Drennan & Ross, 2019). The Health Resources and Services Administration reports that over 575,000 nurses and nursing students benefited from the Title VIII programs between 2016 and 2017 alone (American Nurses Association, 2020). Furthermore, this Act has increased the number of registered nurses in underserved and rural communities. This will help lessen the disparities in healthcare and help improve access to and quality care that such communities receive. Through this legislation, the employment of registered nurses is expected to grow at a rate of 7 percent faster than other occupations between 2019 and 2029 (ANA, 2020). However, it is also important to address other factors that result in low retention rates among nurses. The mental health of care workers needs to be addressed to help with issues of burnout, stress, and suicidal ideations. Together with adequate staffing, advocacy for mental health support for healthcare workers will help boost the quality of care offered to patients.
References
American Nurses Association. (2020). Nursing Workforce Development. Retrieved from https://ana.aristotle.com/SitePages/nursingworkforcedevelopment.aspx
Drennan, V. M., & Ross, F. (2019). Global nurse shortages: The facts, the impact, and action for change. British Medical Bulletin, 130(1), 25-37.
Duquesne University. (2019). Title VIII and the Future of Nursing. Retrieved from https://onlinenursing.duq.edu/blog/title-viii-and-the-future-of-nursing/
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Question 
Legislation in Nursing
Research legislation that has occurred within the last five years at the state or federal level as a result of nurse advocacy. Describe the legislation and what was accomplished. What additional steps need to be taken to continue advocacy for this issue?