Congresswoman Lee Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Southern Nevada Nurse Shortage

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) joined Congressman Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) to announce the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral Train More Nurses Act. This legislation would ensure existing nursing grant programs are being used efficiently to increase faculty at nursing schools and strengthen nursing workforce pipelines. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

“Nurses are the backbone of quality health care. The severe nursing shortage in our state puts the quality of health care for too many Nevadans at risk. And faculty vacancies at nursing schools make it harder for prospective nurses to get the training they need to enter the workforce,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I’m proud to lead bipartisan legislation to make sure federal dollars are invested in educational and workforce programs to train more nurses and ensure southern Nevadans can access the health care they need.” 

“There simply aren’t enough healthcare workers to adequately staff hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes across Iowa. We have students ready to answer the call to serve, but not enough educators to train them,” said Congressman Nunn. “As the son of a nurse, I’ve seen firsthand how critical these frontline professionals are to our healthcare system. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan effort to ensure we have the tools to train the next generation of nurses and meet the growing demand for care.”  

“As the demand for quality healthcare across the state continues to grow, Nevada faces a shortage of nearly 5,000 nurses,” said Congresswoman Titus. “The Train More Nurses Act is a critical step toward ensuring we can meet this demand and provide the necessary support at the federal level for our healthcare workers. By enhancing career pathways, addressing shortages in underserved areas, and facilitating the transition from LPNs to RNs, we are taking strides towards bolstering our healthcare workforce and meeting the needs of patients.”

Nevada currently has only 7.54 nurses per 1,000 people, the fifth worst ratio of nurses to state population in the country. More than half of Nevadans reside in areas with primary care provider shortages, meaning they do not have access to the readily available primary medical care they need. To meet national population-to-provider averages, Nevada would need over 4,000 additional RNs and nearly 3,500 licensed practical nurses (LPNs). The lack of nurses is due in part to a soaring 7.8% vacancy rate at nursing schools across the country, creating an educational bottleneck that makes it more difficult to train new nurses. 

 The bipartisan Train More Nurses Act would:

• Ensure federal grants effectively address faculty shortages in nursing schools and support the nursing workforce, providing much needed funding to communities that need it most as they combat nursing shortages.
• Direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to conduct a review of all nursing grant programs to find ways to increase faculty at nursing schools, particularly in underserved areas.
• Encourage increased pathways for LPNs to become RNs and for nurses who have more than 10 years of clinical experience to become faculty at nursing schools, providing valuable opportunities for members of our communities to increase the nursing pipeline.

More information about the Train More Nurses Act is available here.

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