nurse reinvestment act

Nurses Activism

Published

I have ran across a couple of posts and articles recently that are dated back to February about the Nurse Reinvestment Act. It is my understanding that this act was passed in both the House and Senate, however, the two bills differed in some ways so they would not go into effect until the two were merged and voted on again. Does anyone have any more recent information than two or three months ago? I have read copies of the bills, the one that went to the Senate and the one that went to the House, and they seem to be pretty much identical, any info. on the hold-up?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Not sure on how it is going, but, you can contact one of the sponsors of the bill and ask them.

http://stabenow.senate.gov/infocus/nursing.htm

perhaps you can get the straight scoop, I think there is still some monetary differences between the 2 bills. And, if I know politicians they all believe that the money given to the nurse reinvestment act will keep their state or area from receiving that 2.6 millions dollars to study a way to more effeciently waste the money that is handed to them!! Pork is not another white meat, at least in Washington DC!!

bob

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in psych/mental health.

I received this yesterday from ANA. We all have to get together and contact our senators and our representatives NOW and show them that this is an important issue. There are 2 million plus of us, if each of us takes the time to call or write, the people in Washington will take notice. And if we don't take a few minutes to do this, how can we expect Congress to pay attention and act?

Patty

URGENT ACTION NEEDED

Nurse Reinvestment Act Stalled

Message to Congress

The growing nursing shortage will soon reach critical proportions.

Today, facilities are having problems meeting patient care needs.

Congress must act now to support nurses and attract more people into the

nursing profession. Do not delay - conference and enact the Nurse

Reinvestment Act now.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite our best efforts to make nurse education and recruitment a top

issue, Congress has failed to make the enactment of the Nurse

Reinvestment Act a top priority. Although ANA was able to get the House

and the Senate to pass their own versions of this bill last December,

the merger of the two bills has languished as other issues (e.g.,

Medicare reform, bioterrorism preparedness, welfare reform) have taken

precedence over our bill. We must inform Congress that patients need

nurses today - there is no time to wait.

Now is the time to call and meet with your Congressional delegation.

Tell your Members of Congress that they must act on the Nurse

Reinvestment Act today! Call 202-224-3121 today!

Background:

* On December 20, both the House of Representatives and the Senate

passed the Nurse Reinvestment Act. Although the bills differ in some

respects, both would authorize loan repayment programs and scholarships

for nursing students, and public service announcements to encourage more

people to enter the nursing profession (for a full summary of the two

bills, visit http://nursingworld.org/gova/federal/news/CONFSIDE.PDF).

ANA prefers the Senate bill (S. 1864) which contains many programs (best

practices for nursing administration, recruitment grants, faculty

development, etc) that the House bill (H.R. 3487) does not.

* RNs comprise the largest group of health care professionals in

the United States, with more than 2.2 million nurses employed in health

care. Nurses literally underpin the health care system. Efforts to

improve health care services for Medicare beneficiaries and to prepare

for bioterrorism threats will not work if there are no nurses!

* Numerous studies have shown that patient care is improved, and

negative health outcomes are adverted, when patients receive sufficient

nursing care.

* Already the nursing shortage has been tied to changes in patient

care, causing emergency department overcrowding, emergency department

diversions, increased wait times for surgery, discontinued patient care

programs or reduced service hours, delayed discharges, and canceled

surgeries. Patient care will continue to suffer as the shortage

worsens.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Reinvestment Act a top priority. Although ANA was able to get the House and the Senate to pass their own versions of this bill last December, the merger of the two bills has languished>>

and theres a reason why it has languished - cause the American HOSPITAL Association is out there lobbying the same elected officials to go against it!!! (see article ANA update below).

Nurses really better speak up if they want to see this bill passed. because the other side is speaking up loud enough to try & control it.

The Nurse Reinvestment Act gives hospitals grants to pay for improved nursing recruitment/retention efforts & incentives. The hospital associations dont like the idea that this bill excludes for-profit facilities from being able to get these govenment grants - heaven forbid they should have to spend some of their own profit on their nurses! But if they are doing well enough to be turning profits, they can afford to make their own improvements. Why should the taxpayer pay for improvments at a for-profit facility while the for-profit pockets millions?

Anyway, heres the update from the American Nurses Association's (ANA) email newsletter (also posted on its website) regarding the bill:

American Hospital Association (AHA), Federation Urge REMOVAL of Nurse Reinvestment Act Restrictions

4/26/02

AHA and the Federation of American Hospitals say they will OPPOSE the Nurse Reinvestment Act unless Congress removes from the legislation restrictions barring nurses from working in for-profit hospitals to pay back their nursing loans to the government.

In a letter sent to leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, AHA Executive Vice President Rick Pollack and Federation President Chip Kahn said both the House and Senate-passed versions of the bill unfairly limit nurses' eligibility for financial assistance based on the ownership status of the hospitals where they choose to work.

They said the nursing shortage hurts non-profit and for-profit hospitals alike, adding "it is critical that all hospitals that provide care to Medicare patients receive the government's help in addressing their nursing shortage."

http://www.ana.org/news/ananews.htm#region

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks everyone for all of your help. I had read these articles as well. I wrote Sen. Stabenow's office requesting any updated information that they may have. I'll let you know what I find out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment