H.R. 1460, The Nurses' Higher Education and Loan Repayment Act of 2009 (10 comments ↓)
- This item is from the 111th Congress (2009-2010) and is no longer current. Comments, voting, and wiki editing have been disabled, and the cost/savings estimate has been frozen.
H.R. 1460 would amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a graduate degree loan repayment program for nurses who become nursing school faculty members.
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Michelle Marshall, RN
March 22, 2009, 12:56pm (report abuse)The passage of the bill is very important to insure that there are nursing instructors to educate and bring new nurses into the profession. There is a looming nursing shortage is being fueled by a nursing instructor shortage. Without nursing instructors at the college, they cannot admit nursing applicants into their programs to create more nurses. Nursing schools don't pay much to their instructors, so this bill would encourage nurses like me who are obtaining higher education (i.e. Masters of Nursing and PhD's in Nursing) to work at the Universities because our Federal loans would be repaid!
Roger Bell RN, MSN
April 22, 2009, 9:22pm (report abuse)May approaching, and I am writing many recommendation letters and discussing employment options with the 130 or so students who will soon graduate and become RNs. Good for them that most will have starting wages higher than myself and some of the other instructors that brought them this far. This would be a great bill, increasing recruitment of new instructors, and retention of us who might look elsewhere to make more money. One concern, is whether the money will be taxable as income under big "O".
Catherine Carson
June 10, 2009, 4:33pm (report abuse)It is sad to think, I made more money teaching in a high school, than I do now teaching in a nursing school. I just graduated with my MSN, and am thinking of going back to either the floor, or the high school so I can afford to pay back my student loan!
Hazel Harrison RN
July 16, 2009, 5:45pm (report abuse)There has been a nursing shortage for over 10 years which is largely due to lack of nursing school instructors. I applaud this bill even though it does seem like it is too little too late.
Mary Granoff
July 17, 2009, 1:44pm (report abuse)The cliche, "better late than never" comes to mind. I think this would be beneficial to so many nurses who have invested, or plan to, in further education because they want to teach nursing. We all know that you don't take a teaching position for the money but it sure would be nice to have some of my $120,000 of student loans (MSN and doctorate) paid off!
I really hope it comes to pass. Meanwhile, although there is a shortage of nurses and waiting lists to get in to nursing programs I am not seeing many ads for nursing faculty, at least in South Florida. I'm curious what others have found.
Gail Boushley RN, MSN
July 17, 2009, 1:49pm (report abuse)I think this bill should be for those of us who have gone into debt to earn a graduate degree and to stay in the hospital. Hospitals are in need of Masters prepared nurses just as much as the nursing schools.I just earned my degree and it cost $50,000. Patients are entering into the acute care setting more acutely ill due to the financial situation requiring those with advanced degrees to better support the nursing staff at the bedside, mange to the best lower revenue while maintaining the highest level of quality care and doing this to meet the strict requirements of CMS, The Joint Commission and more. This bill should cover all who have earned or are earning a Masters of Science in Nursing.
Sharon Powers, RN UOP
July 23, 2009, 7:39pm (report abuse)I currently am seeking my MSN/MHA and would like to teach. Yes, I am taking out student loans which will have to be repaid, this bill could help out those of us who want to help the future shortage of nurses. Who will teach our future nurses? It has to be master and/or doctorate prepare nurses and that comes at a great financial burden. A bill like this could be a great incentive to future educators.
Mary Corey RN CHPN
July 26, 2009, 12:00am (report abuse)I have 30 years of nursing experience. I would consider going back to school if this bill passes. It's altruistic to help the new people who want to come into the profession, but can't due to a shortage of teachers.
Marie Talbot
January 22, 2010, 10:38pm (report abuse)I'm at the 1/2 point for my PhD in nursing education. I'm going to be $80,000 in debt (MSN & PhD) and took a gamble that this bill will pass. $80,000 is almost too much to think of @ 56 years old. I will teach as long as I can. I am doing this for my own professional growth but also for the future. Without me and people like me, the nursing shortage will not get any better. This would also help a few of my friends return to school--unlike me, they are not willing to gamble.
Derek Donato RN, BSN, CCRN
August 9, 2010, 3:01am (report abuse)The increasing shortage on nurses especially in the next 10-20 years is a major obstacle in the provision of quality care to americans. One cause of this shortage according to some experts is the lack of nurse faculty itself. The US spends millions of dollars recruiting nurses from overseas, why not spend some of that monies towards the education of nurses who are pursuing to be nurse educators? Im a graduate student and I would like to be a nurse faculty but the soaring cost of graduate education will probably keep me from enrolling this fall semester. Im hoping for the passage of this legislation. and I would like to encourage everyone to write to your representative and solicit their support for this bill.