GOVERNMENT & MEDICINE

Congress acts to ease nursing shortage

Physicians applaud a newly passed bill as critical to promoting the nursing profession and averting a health care crisis.

By Michael J. Bernstein, AMNews correspondent. Aug. 12, 2002.

Washington -- Congress took an important initial step toward addressing the deepening nationwide nurse shortage. With the strong support of major health care organizations, including the AMA, the House and Senate in late July passed a bill designed to make nursing a more rewarding and inviting profession.

The Nurse Reinvestment Act, expected to be signed into law by President Bush this summer, features several grant programs aimed at nurse training and retention, scholarships and a public service campaign promoting the profession.

AMA Chair-elect William G. Plested III, MD, strongly praised Congress for passing the legislation. "This is what has to be done, and this is the time to do it. The shortage is absolutely real. It is incredibly important that this type of bill has been passed."

Dr. Plested said that the legislation attacks the problem at just the right places -- it improves the recruitment process by offering scholarships and other incentives, and ultimately it will help revitalize the profession's self-image.

"We used to picture a nurse as an angel, and they still are angels, but they've lost that feeling about themselves," he said. "There's a morale problem, and the public service announcements promoting the profession are a critical part of the act."

Lawrence Schecter, MD, medical director of California's Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center, also commended Congress for taking action to begin to deal with the nursing shortage. But he cautioned that solving the problem will take years. [...]

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