| Introduction | | | | many nursing specific bills in the near future: |
| Health care is always a platform for a political agenda, | | | | - The Nursing School Capacity Act of 2007 will allow |
| but with the 2008 presidential campaign not so far | | | | research to focus on the constraints encountered by |
| away, the concern and conversation relating to the | | | | schools of nursing in relation to admitting and |
| alarming number of Americans without health | | | | graduating nurses sufficient in meeting the pressing |
| coverage is rising. It is speculated that there are | | | | health care needs of Americans, assess if entry-level |
| around 47 million Americans uninsured. | | | | graduates are pleased with their schooling |
| "Pursue the nearest duty." | | | | preparation, and evaluate salary and benefit |
| A Solution? | | | | structures within the field. |
| Bush seeks to provide a remedy by focusing on two | | | | -The Nurse Education, Expansion, and Development |
| angles: making coverage more available by reforming | | | | Act of 2007would give nursing schools funds to add |
| the tax code and to provide federal funding to | | | | to their faculty, maintain facilities, purchase |
| states with an abundance of low-income and | | | | equipment, and recruit students. This bill would |
| hard-to-insure residents. The former plan would | | | | provide over $255 million over the period of three |
| involve a standard deduction in taxes for those | | | | years. |
| purchasing insurance on their own or through their | | | | -The Medicaid Advanced Practice Nurses and |
| workplace. The latter plan would seek to deliver | | | | Physician Assistants Access Act of 2007, seeks to |
| basic, affordable private health insurance to applicable | | | | expand access under the Medicaid fee-for-service |
| residents. | | | | program. Currently, pediatric nurse practitioners and |
| Bush intends for the two solutions to stymie the | | | | family nurse practitioners qualify, but the bill seeks to |
| reliance on government-run health care. Bush hopes | | | | include all nurse practitioners, CNSs, and physician |
| that his plan will foster the opportunity for Americans | | | | assistants as primary care providers. |
| to be more in control of their medical decisions. Critics | | | | "Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do |
| of Bush's plan say that the lower income population | | | | your duty in all things... You cannot do more. You |
| would not benefit from this plan because they will still | | | | should never wish to do less." |
| not be likely to afford the premiums even if they do | | | | Calling All Nurses |
| have a plan. Another vociferation is that the plan | | | | Those engrossed on the topics say that there is no |
| might force employers to lower or drop benefits in | | | | better group to speak on these issues than RNs. It is |
| parts of the country where premiums are the highest | | | | projected that the nursing shortage will increase to |
| and in small business sectors. | | | | add to the need of more than 1 million nurses by the |
| Congressional Implementation | | | | year 2020. By 2015, all 50 states will experience a |
| Congress will also attempt to peer into the health | | | | shortage of nurses. |
| care problem. The federal government will address | | | | |