AARP Applauds Legislative Push for Nursing Education

WASHINGTON—AARP Senior Vice President Susan Reinhard issued this statement following yesterday’s introduction of H.R. 3185 in the House of Representatives:

“This legislation reinforces the critical need to modernize Medicare’s support for nursing education as a part of overall health care reform. 

“The nation’s nursing schools are unable to educate the nurses needed now and in the future because of major faculty and resource shortages, according to the Center to Champion Nursing in America. The U.S. nursing shortage is projected to reach 260,000 in the next 15 years.

“An aging population with increasing chronic conditions requires health care services that are focused on primary care, care coordination, transitional care and prevention of disease, areas where evidence demonstrates that advanced practice nurses are highly effective. The bill introduced by Representative Lois Capps (D-Calif.) would produce 25 percent more highly skilled advanced practice nurses and in turn more effectively and efficiently improve care for the millions of Americans who depend on Medicare. AARP salutes Rep. Capps’ efforts to make nursing education a key priority in health care reform.

Rep. Capps said, “In the coming months we will enact comprehensive health care reform with the goal of insuring all Americans and promoting better health through increased access to primary care.” She continued, “We can’t achieve this goal, however, unless we have enough health providers on the ground to provide this essential care to patients. This legislation will help increase the number of nurse practitioners and other Advanced Practice Nurses, which is critical to our efforts to expand our health care workforce. By providing more resources for clinical training placements, this legislation will ensure that we graduate more highly qualified health professionals to care for the growing number of Americans seeking health care services.”

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole.  AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates.  We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 35.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org.  AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors.  We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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