Statements On Introduced Bills And Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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By Mr. DURBIN:

S. 1512. A bill to fund comprehensive programs to ensure an adequate supply of nurses; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Mr. DURBIN. This is a critical time in America. For the first time in many decades, we have a real opportunity to reform our healthcare system and improve how care is delivered in our country and the ability for Americans to access such quality care.

The delivery of quality care in our country is as great as it is because of the more than 2.9 million nurses in our country. Americans depend on nurses to deliver quality patient care, yet our nation faces a critical shortage of nurses. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than 1.2 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2014 to keep up with the aging Baby Boomer population and the increased demand for health care.

As we work toward reform of health insurance, we need to prioritize increasing the number of nurses entering the workforce. We can do that by building on the current healthcare workforce. That allows us to work with people who are familiar with the work environment in the health field, require less time in orientation than new workers, and represent a diverse population more representative of the patients being served.

Today, I am pleased to introduce the Nurse Training and Retention Act to assist states and localities in creating career ladders for current healthcare workers who are ready to upgrade their skills. Many people in the healthcare workforce are in entry level jobs that don't always offer opportunities for advancement. For much of this population, advanced education is unaffordable and unattainable. The legislation I am proposing offers incumbent healthcare workers realistic options to enhance their skills, advance their careers, and meet the growing demand for nurses.

The legislation authorizes the Department of Labor to award grants to support training programs for healthcare workers. Health aides can use these programs to earn a certificate or degree in nursing. Nurses can upgrade their skills and qualifications so that they can serve as nurse faculty, which would help relieve the backlog of qualified applicants who aren't in nursing school because of the lack of faculty.

Programs administered by joint labor/management training partnerships have made great progress educating and retaining nurses. The proposed grant program builds on the good work these partnerships have done and encourages further collaboration with colleges and universities. The combination of support in the workplace and collaboration with nursing schools to meet the needs of the non-traditional student means these students are performing very well in nursing school. These new nurses have higher retention rates than other, more traditional students who do not have work experience in the field. Another benefit of the career ladder is that these collaborations are building a more diverse nursing workforce.

Another important player in this process is the employer. That's why my bill asks employers of incumbent healthcare workers to invest in the training programs. This completes the partnership, so that labor, employer, and the participating school are all working together to retain and grow the healthcare workforce we have today.

Nurses play an invaluable role in patient care in this country. By supporting our current healthcare workforce and offering these individuals a chance to move up in the field, the Nurse Training and Retention Act can help us tap an overlooked resource. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD

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