Durbin introduces AONL-supported bill to address faculty shortage

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., introduced the Nursing Faculty Shortage Reduction Act (S. 3707). The AONL-supported bill would address the critical nursing faculty shortage by creating a pilot grant program to help nursing schools increase wages for nurse educators. The money would reduce the pay gap between clinical nursing and academic roles to entice more nurses with advanced degrees to become nurse faculty and remain in those roles. In 2023, U.S. nursing schools turned away 65,766 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs, with programs citing faculty shortages as a primary reason for not accepting all qualified applicants, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. A companion measure is expected to be introduced in the House.