APHON and NCC Urge Congressional Leaders to Support the FAAN Act
September 30th, 2020
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
United States House of Representatives
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
Minority Leader
United States House of Representatives
H-204, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Senate Majority Leader
United States Senate
S-230, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Charles E. Schumer
Senate Minority Leader
United States Senate
S-221, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader McCarthy, and Leader Schumer:
On behalf of the 53 undersigned organizations representing the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC), we write today in support of the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act (S.4396/H.R.7945). Throughout this pandemic, the NCC has highlighted many shared legislative priorities to support the safety of nurses on the frontlines through increased investments in public health, personal protective equipment, research, and technology. As a cross section of education, practice, research, and regulation within the nursing profession, the FAAN Act aligns with the NCC’s work and mission by supporting the cornerstone of the profession, nursing education, during this pandemic and as we prepare for future public health threats. Therefore, the NCC strongly encourages Congress to include the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act S.4396/H.R.7945) in the next COVID-19 legislative package.
This bicameral legislation was introduced by Senate Nursing Caucus Co-Chair, Senator Jeff Merkley, and our two Registered Nurses in Congress, Representatives Lauren Underwood and Eddie Bernice Johnson.
This legislation would provide vital federal investments to ensure nursing education pipelines remain strong, not only during COVID-19, but for the frontline nurses of future health crises as well. In fact, the FAAN Act aims to provide federal resources to schools of nursing where it is needed the most, such as in medically underserved locations, health professional shortage areas, or Minority Serving Institutions.
Specifically, the FAAN Act would support the needs of nursing students, help retain and hire diverse faculty, and provide resources to modernize nursing education infrastructure. One critically important aspect of this legislation is that it promotes new opportunities for schools of nursing to partner with nurse-managed health clinics, community health centers, and other health care facilities to create and expand clinical education opportunities. These efforts are essential as colleges and universities continue to contend with the hardships of this pandemic and will better prepare nursing students as they transition from the classroom to bedside.
As Congress considers the next COVID-19 package, and we continue to strive to educate the next generation of frontline nursing leaders, we strongly encourage you to include the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act (S.4396/H.R.7945) in the next stimulus relief legislation. If the Nursing Community Coalition can be of any assistance to you or your staff, please do not hesitate to contact the coalition’s Executive Director, Rachel Stevenson, at rstevenson@thenursingcommunity.org or at 202-463-6930, ext. 271.
Sincerely,
Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing
American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners
Academy of Neonatal Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
American Association of Heart Failure 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 Veterans Affairs Nurse Anesthetists
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service
Dermatology 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 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
Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
Society of Pediatric Nurses
Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates
Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society
CC:
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise
Senate Majority Whip John Thune
Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin
Chairman Lamar Alexander, Senate HELP Committee
Ranking Member, Patty Murray, Senate HELP Committee
Chairman Frank Pallone, House Energy & Commerce Committee
Ranking Member, Greg Walden, House Energy & Commerce Committee
Promoting America’s Health Through Nursing Care www.thenursingcommunity.org · 202-463-6930 ext. 272