"Nursing shortage"...definitely a step in the right direction - Loan forgiveness bill

[PMHNP10]

I hope this isn't a repost, but if it is, well it's really important, regardless.

H.R. 2572, The Nurse Loan Forgiveness Act of 2007 (20 comments ↓)

H.R. 2572 would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a student loan forgiveness program for nurses.

http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_2572.html#usercomments

[putmetosleep]

Is this something that's in the works, or has it been approved? Boy, that would be really nice.

[RN1989]

I don't think this is going to have much of an impact. The problem is not related to money to go to school. Nursing schools turn away students in drove because they don't have enough nursing instructors. But the biggest offender in the "shortage" is the poor working environments. Nurses are leaving nursing employment in record numbers due to the poor and unsafe working environements. They are leaving nursing even when they have student loans left to pay. Help with getting a loan may be an enticement for people who cannot afford to go to school but it will do nothing to keep nurses in the profession long term.

[CNAinNeb]

The problem isn't student loans as much as student spots and funding for the nursing schools. If we didn't have to apply three years in a row, and take different pre-reqs to apply for each program, student loans wouldn't be such a big deal. Just my two cents. We need to offer more funding to schools, and incentives for nursing instructors.

[PMHNP10]

I hear what y'all are saying, but understand that such a bill will apply to individuals attempting to earn an MSN to become an educator as well. read some of the comments and you will get a couple first hand accounts of how this bill could help alleviate the instructor shortage.

People don't want to teach because they can't afford to, partially due to the fact that they have to repay $1000s in student loans to earn the ADN/BSN/MSN/PhD. Low pay is much more tolerable if you aren't in debt up to your eyes.

Absolutely, this proposed bill isn't the cure to the "nursing shortage", but it is absolutely a step in the right direction. And regardless, this is huge for every one of us who have had to take out loans to get an education.

There is a similar program for folks who received a Perkins loan. I absolutely loved not having to pay a penny on that loan while working as a RN.

[PMHNP10]

Is this something that's in the works, or has it been approved? Boy, that would be really nice.

I wish I could tell you. My school just emailed me this info. today. It was introduced in June, so knowing our congress, it's not likely a law yet.

[marie-francoise]

I wonder what the dynamic is between the following, as far as affecting the number of nursing instructors:

Nurses hating working conditions and therefore becoming instructors.

vs.

Nurses hating instructor salaries and therefore remaining clinical nurses.

And I guess the different types of nursing come into play here, too - for example, NP, CRNA, home health, versus hospital bedside nursing.

I also wonder how the expected Medicare reimbursement cuts/freezes will exacerbate the nursing shortage. Esp the withholding of reimbursement for inpatient complications that supposedly could have been prevented through nursing vigilance. THAT one gives me pause!