HARRISBURG – The Senate Institutional and Sustainability Committee, chaired by Sen. Frank Farry (R-6), held a meeting last week and unanimously passed important legislation aimed at addressing nursing workforce challenges in Pennsylvania.
The commonwealth continues to face a critical shortage of nurses, driven in part by increasing health care demands, changes in the workforce and limited capacity within nursing education programs. While the health care community has made strides to respond, Pennsylvania continues to experience shortages across several health care professions.
Senate Bill 998, sponsored by Sen. Rosemary Brown, would establish a targeted grant program for accredited nursing programs to help them recruit and retain faculty, develop nurse preceptors and expand student programming and enrollment. Funding could also support faculty development and enhance clinical training opportunities through strategic partnerships.
“This bill represents an important step toward strengthening our health care workforce,” said Farry. “By supporting our nursing education programs, we’re investing in the next generation of nurses who will provide quality care for our families and communities.”
“The biggest challenge to increasing the number of nurses is clinical placements. This grant could provide funding for us to increase the capacity of our simulation lab and, thus, free up more clinical spaces. That would allow us to increase the number of nursing students we could accept and graduate into the profession,” said Patrick M. Jones, Ph.D., president and CEO of Bucks County Community College.
This bill now heads to the full Senate for a vote.
CONTACT: Nicole McGerry