The Secretary has already signaled his commitment to alleviate this problem. However, there is still much that needs to be done. It is my hope that through this meeting you will be able to suggest the best possible avenues for pursuing strategies to increase the number of professional nurses in America. We need to make the vocation attractive. It is a public service and a public need.
Nurses are the backbone of the American health care system.
We can t begin to meet the needs of underserved Americans for essential health care without the active involvement of nurses. To date, HRSA has put in place a variety of nurse education and training programs that we believe will have significant, positive impacts in all communities, especially those where shortages occur. Every four years, HRSA s Division of Nursing conducts the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, the most extensive and comprehensive source of statistics on Registered Nurses. These are clear signals that action is needed to ensure an adequate supply of nurses to keep our hospitals, nursing homes, and schools operating efficiently. Under Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, HRSA s Division of Nursing runs three programs specifically focused on increasing the number of registered and advanced-practice nurses.