(C) Providing assistance in preparing for 
and meeting all nursing licensure tests and re-
quirements. 
(D) 
Carrying 
out 
orientation 
and 
mentorship programs that assist newly grad-
uated nurses in adjusting to working at the 
bedside to ensure their retention post gradua-
tion, and ongoing programs to support nurse 
retention. 
(E) Providing stipends for release time and 
continued healthcare coverage to enable incum-
bent healthcare workers to participate in these 
programs. 
(2) To carry out programs that assist nurses in 
obtaining advanced degrees and completing specialty 
training or certification programs and to establish 
incentives for nurses to assume nurse faculty posi-
tions on a part-time or full-time basis. Such pro-
grams shall include one or more of the following: 
(A) Increasing the pool of nurses with ad-
vanced degrees who are interested in teaching 
by funding programs that enable incumbent 
nurses to return to school. 
(B) Establishing incentives for advanced 
degree bedside nurses who wish to teach in 
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nursing programs so they can obtain a leave 
from their bedside position to assume a full- or 
part-time position as adjunct or full-time fac-
ulty without the loss of salary or benefits. 
(C) Collaboration with accredited schools 
of nursing which may include community col-
leges and other academic institutions providing 
Associate, Bachelor’s, or advanced nursing de-
gree programs, or specialty training or certifi-
cation programs, for nurses to carry out innova-
tive nursing programs which meet the needs of 
bedside nursing and healthcare providers. 
(g) PREFERENCE.—In awarding grants under this 
section the Secretary shall give preference to programs 
that— 
(1) provide for improving nurse retention; 
(2) provide for improving the diversity of the 
new nurse graduates to reflect changes in the demo-
graphics of the patient population; 
(3) provide for improving the quality of nursing 
education to improve patient care and safety; 
(4) have demonstrated success in upgrading in-
cumbent healthcare workers to become nurses or 
which have established effective programs or pilots 
to increase nurse faculty; or 
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(5) are modeled after or affiliated with such 
programs described in paragraph (4). 
(h) EVALUATION.— 
(1) PROGRAM
EVALUATIONS.—An entity that 
receives a grant under this section shall annually 
evaluate, and submit to the Secretary a report on, 
the activities carried out under the grant and the 
outcomes of such activities. Such outcomes may in-
clude— 
(A) an increased number of incumbent 
workers entering an accredited school of nurs-
ing and in the pipeline for nursing programs; 
(B) an increasing number of graduating 
nurses and improved nurse graduation and li-
censure rates; 
(C) improved nurse retention; 
(D) an increase in the number of staff 
nurses at the healthcare facility involved; 
(E) an increase in the number of nurses 
with advanced degrees in nursing; 
(F) an increase in the number of nurse 
faculty; 
(G) improved measures of patient quality 
(which may include staffing ratios of nurses, 
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patient satisfaction rates, patient safety meas-
ures); and 
(H) an increase in the diversity of new 
nurse graduates relative to the patient popu-
lation. 
(2) GENERAL REPORT.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary of Labor shall, using data 
and information from the reports received under 
paragraph (1), submit to Congress a report con-
cerning the overall effectiveness of the grant pro-
gram carried out under this section. 
(i) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, 
such sums as may be necessary. 
Æ 
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