AACN often works with other groups that share our specific goals in order to amplify our influence. The Nursing Community, a consortium of 63 nursing organizations, is a powerful partner that works directly with government agencies and lawmakers. See below for recent actions AACN has taken with the Nursing Community or other partners:
AACN Joins the Nursing Community in Statement to Senate on Healthcare Reform
In a statement titled “Commitment to America’s Health,” AACN joined 52 organizations from the Nursing Community that signed a statement urging senators to support ideals that are at the forefront of the national dialogue on healthcare reform. These ideals include promoting wellness and providing timely access to essential health care. To read the entire statement visit the Nursing Community.
AACN Supports Federal Funding of Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs
AACN is collaborating with the Nursing Community to fight the deep cuts to Nursing Workforce Development programs proposed in the 2018 Fiscal Year Budget released by the White House. The proposed budget decreases funding to these programs by 64 percent compared to FY 2017.
AACN signed on to a May 23 Nursing Community statement that opposed cuts in funding to the Nursing Workforce Development Programs (Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act) and to the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) outlined in the President's FY 2018 Budget Proposal.
The proposed cuts would seriously hinder U.S. nursing education programs. Decreased funding could lessen the number of future nurses and the development of faculty to educate them. This could also affect patients’ access to care, safety and the overall quality of healthcare. The proposed NINR budget decreases of approximately 24 percent would diminish support for crucial nursing research that provides the foundation for evidence-based practice at the bedside.
AACN also endorsed Nursing Community testimony submitted on June 2 to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration; and the National Institutes of Health. This testimony provided evidence arguing for increased levels of funding for the Nursing Workforce Development Programs and the NINR.
The Nursing Community is a coalition of 63 national professional nursing associations dedicated to advocating for a wide spectrum of healthcare and nursing issues, including practice, education, research, and regulation. For more on these actions visit The Nursing Community.