Kentucky Nurses Association's "ask" for $100 million to address nursing shortage passed the Senate Budget - on its way for approval by the House!

The Kentucky Nurses Association found out yesterday that its "ask" for $100 million dollars to address the nursing workforce shortage passed the Senate budget and is on its way for approval in the House!! 

This effort began early last fall/late summer with discussions about nurses leaving the state to travel, turnover and vacancy rates, nurses leaving the profession altogether and other difficult and dire circumstances across the Commonwealth. Nurses statewide came together and collaborated strongly to brainstorm ways to address this situation and arrived at some creative, innovative and yet practical short-term and long-term solutions to recommend to those in power, beginning with Gov. Beshear. In the words of ANA President Dr. Ernest Grant, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” That being said, KNA carried its message to the Governor, the legislature and to the media through interviews, letters to newspaper editors, multiple zoom calls, email blasts and phone calls. The KNA was even represented by CEO Delanor Manson, MA, BSN, RN, on 60 Minutes and she has spoken with the White House just this week.

There remains much work to do, but on behalf of the KNA Board of Directors, KNF Board of Trustees and Kentucky Nurses Action Coalition, the KNA extends a hearty Thank You for your work in helping us achieve this goal.

See below for the excerpt from HB 1 –

 

Page 118, Lines 2 – 5:

 (3) Nursing Shortage Response: Included in the above Federal Funds appropriation is $100,000,000 in fiscal year 2022-2023 from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to support a response to the nursing shortage. 

With funding in place to provide retention bonuses, loan forgiveness, nursing recruitment programs and other creative programs to bring more nurses to and back to the workplace, we can work together to assure that there are enough of us to take care of our communities for the near and distant future.