APHON and NCC Submits Testimony to House Appropriations Subcommittee
May 6th, 2021
Testimony of the Nursing Community Coalition
Prepared for the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) &
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Submitted by Rachel Stevenson, Executive Director of the Nursing Community Coalition As the nation continues to address COVID-19, we recognize how crucial federal investments for the nursing workforce and the nursing pipeline are to our patients and the health of our nation.
Given these realities, the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) respectfully requests that Congress continues robust and bold investment in nursing workforce, education, and research in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 by supporting at least $530 million for the Nursing Workforce Development programs (authorized under Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 296 et seq.] and administered by HRSA), a doubling of Title VIII funding, and at least $193 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), one of the 27 Institutes and Centers within NIH.
The Nursing Community Coalition is comprised of 63 national nursing organizations who work together to advance health care issues that impact education, research, practice, and regulation.
Collectively, the NCC represents Registered Nurses (RNs), Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs),1 nurse leaders, students, faculty, and researchers, as well as other nurses with advanced degrees. With more than four million nurses throughout the country, the NCC is committed to advancing the health of our nation through the nursing lens.2 The nursing workforce is involved at every point of care, which is exemplified by nurses’ heroic work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, we reiterate the bold request for increased funding for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs and NINR, especially during these unprecedented times.
Providing Care to All Americans Through the Nursing Lens
As we continue to confront today’s health care challenges and plan for tomorrow, increased federal resources for our nation’s current and future nurses are even more imperative. Title VIII programs are instrumental in bolstering and sustaining the nation’s diverse nursing pipeline by addressing all aspects of nursing workforce demand. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that by 2029 demand for RNs would increase 7%, illustrating an employment change of 221,900 nurses.3 Further, the demand for most APRNs is expected to grow by 45%.4 This is just one example on why continued and elevated investments in Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs in FY 2022 is essential and will help nurses and nursing students have the resources to tackle our nation’s health care needs, remain on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, assist with the distribution and administration of the vaccine, and be prepared for the public health challenges of the future.
Funding for Title VIII is essential, but especially crucial during public health emergencies as these programs connect patients with high-quality nursing care in community health centers, hospitals, long-term care facilities, local and state health departments, schools, workplaces, and patients’ homes. A prime example of this is the Title VIII Advanced Nursing Education (ANE) programs. ANE programs support APRN students and nurses to practice on the frontlines and in rural and underserved areas throughout the country. In Academic Year 2018-2019, ANE programs supported more than 9,000 students.5 Of these students, 73 percent of Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) and 62 percent of Advance Nursing Education program had clinical training sites in primary care settings, while 78 percent of Nurse Anesthetist Trainee (NAT) recipients were trained in medically-underserved areas.6
Together, Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs serve a vital need and help to ensure that we have a robust nursing workforce that is prepared to respond to public health threats and ensure the health and safety of all Americans. The Nursing Community Coalition respectfully requests at least $530 million for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs in FY 2022.
Improving Patient Care Through Scientific Research and Innovation:
For more than thirty years, scientific endeavors funded at the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) have been essential to advancing the health of individuals, families, and communities.
Rigorous inquiry and research are indispensable when responding to the everchanging healthcare landscape and healthcare emergencies, such as COVID-19. From precision genomics to palliative car the forefront of evidence driven research to improve care.7
It is imperative that we continue to support this necessary scientific research, which is why the Nursing Community Coalition respectfully requests at least $193 million for the NINR in FY 2022.
Now, more than ever, it is vital that we have the resources to meet today’s public health challenges, such as COVID-19. Investing in Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs and NINR are essential to meeting that need. By providing bold funding for Title VIII and NINR, Congress can continue to reinforce and strengthen the foundational care nurses provide daily in communities across the country. Thank you for your support of these crucial programs.
60 Members of the Nursing Community Coalition Submitting this Testimony
Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing
Academy of Neonatal Nursing
American Academy of Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
American Association of Heart Failure Nurses
American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American Nephrology Nurses Association
American Nurses Association
American Nursing Informatics Association
American Organization for Nursing Leadership
American Pediatric Surgical Nurses Association, Inc.
American Public Health Association, Public Health Nursing Section
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
American Society for Pain Management Nursing
American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses
Association for Radiologic and Imaging Nursing
Association of Community Health Nursing Educators
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
Association of Public Health Nurses
Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
Association of Veterans Affairs Nurse Anesthetists
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Incorporated
Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service
Dermatology Nurses’ Association
Emergency Nurses Association
Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research
Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association
Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
Infusion Nurses Society
International Association of Forensic Nurses
International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists
National Association of Hispanic Nurses
National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners
National Association of Neonatal Nurses
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of School Nurses
National Black Nurses Association
National Council of State Boards of Nursing
National League for Nursing
National Nurse-Led Care Consortium
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs
Oncology Nursing Society
Organization for Associate Degree Nursing
Pediatric Endocrinology Nursing Society
Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
Society of Pediatric Nurses
Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates
Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society
1 APRNs include certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) and nurse practitioners (NPs).
2 National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2021). Active RN Licenses: A profile of nursing licensure in the U.S. as of February 9, 2021. Retrieved from: https://www.ncsbn.org/6161.htm
3 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (20). Occupational Outlook Handbook- Registered Nurses. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
4 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021). Occupational Outlook Handbook- Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nursepractitioners.htm
5 Department of Health and Human Services Fiscal Year 2021 Health Resources and Services Administration Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees. Pages 141-145. Retrieved from:
https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/about/budget/budget-justification-fy2021.pdf
6 Department of Health and Human Services Fiscal Year 2021 Health Resources and Services Administration Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees. Pages 142-143. Retrieved from:
https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/about/budget/budget-justification-fy2021.pdf
7 National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research. The NINR Strategic Plan: Advancing Science, Improving Lives. Pages 4, 10 Retrieved from https://www.ninr.nih.gov/sites/www.ninr.nih.gov/files/NINR_StratPlan2016_reduced.pdf.