Nurses help Hoosiers every day, and our health care system depends on them to perform vital tasks and services on behalf of patients and other medical professionals. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Indiana faced a nursing shortage. This session I supported a new law to boost our state's nursing talent pipeline in an effort to alleviate the shortfall.
With more than 4,000 nursing jobs currently open statewide, House Enrolled Act 1003 gives flexibility to nursing programs and nurse educators, and helps simplify licensing restrictions. It also creates more pathways for students to obtain licenses and helps them get into the workforce faster – all while maintaining high-quality training standards.
This law also increases the number of nurse educators and student enrollment for certain associate and bachelor's degree programs. It allows nursing programs to accept more clinical simulation hours and reduces the required amount of experience needed for a registered nurse to become a nursing instructor.
By 2031, it's estimated Indiana will need 5,000 additional nurses, and nursing programs will need to increase their graduating classes by 1,350 each year to meet this need. This legislation helps make sure there are qualified Hoosiers now and in the future to keep Hoosiers healthy in our hospitals, local doctor's offices, schools and long-term care facilities.
This law was supported by hospital systems, nursing schools, long-term care facilities, the Indiana Nurses Association, Indiana Hospital Association and Indiana Health Care Association. Hoosiers interested in pursuing a nursing career can find Indiana nursing programs at ic4n.org/nursing.
I am thankful for all the hard work and efforts displayed by nurses in our community and across the state. Our health care system depends on having strong, qualified nurses, and this law works to make sure we have enough nurses to meet our current and future needs.
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State Rep. Michelle Davis (R-Whiteland) represents House District 58,
which includes a portion of Johnson County.
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