Continued funding for programs that access this type of funding is dependent on demonstrated outcomes. Nurse Managed clinics would be included under this category. A recent New York Times article reported that many of the nation's hospitals are experiencing a shortage of registered nurses, especially the specialized, highly trained nurses who staff operating rooms, emergency rooms, intensive care units and pediatric wards for high risk babies. This program provides for up to 85 percent repayment of student loans for nurses who agree to a service payback in nursing shortage areas. Again we applaud this Subcommittee's commitment to advancing behavioral science research.
Nursing research is an integral part of the effectiveness of nursing care.
The NINR provides the knowledge base for practice of 2.6 million registered nurses. Advances in nursing care arising from nursing and other biomedical research improves the quality of patient care and has shown excellent progress in reducing health care costs and health care demands. Research programs supported by the NINR address a number of critical public health and patient care questions. The research is driven by real and immediate problems encountered by patients and families. Study results offer the clear prospect of improving health , reducing morbidity and mortality, and lowering costs and demand for health care.