13 Comments

As a retired nurse educator, I can attest this is a necessary step in the right direction.

However, a huge issue remains - about 30% of new graduate nurses will leave the profession entirely within their first 3 years. (This was accurate in 2019, not sure what stats say now, but I imagine it is similar.) Working conditions and structural work-related supports for new nurses are also important to prevent the attrition of new grads.

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I think you're right. The structural issues need to change as well. I like the regional governance of Rep Jayapal's bill because they have a mechanism for covering the budgets of facilities at the right staffing levels which may be a start to fixing that.

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I had no idea!!! Thanks for sharing that data.

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One of the foundational issues is a lack nursing educators, and current educators retiring (like myself): https://www.registerednursing.org/articles/nurse-education-contributing-nursing-shortage/

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Thanks for the link, I did not realize that there was a shortage of instructors as well.

I hope you enjoy retirement. (This is what I do in retirement). :)

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Before I retired, I was the program director for an MS degree in Nursing Education, preparing new nurse educators in a very medically underserved state on your map.The program was dissolved within a year after I had retired. So discouraging. However, they did replace it with a certificate program, which I do hope made the preparation for teaching easier and more reachable for many who were anticipating becoming an educator at some point. (We we’re a nurse practitioner-program-heavy college; however most nurses with MS degrees will eventually work in education. Nursing is a very physically demanding profession, and a back injury will sideline many nurses. Education is often their next career step.)

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Also my daughter is an internal medicine doctor first year out of residency. Her husband is a fellow in pediatric psychiatry.

Both great, but they have over 500,000 in student loan debt.

Also both post pandemic medical traumatized! Really, covid was very tough on them mentally and physically.

Not sure how you encourage primary care with such significant debt.

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Hi Christa, Your daughter and son-in-law may already know these sources, but here is a list of tuition forgiveness programs for doctors. The source is reliable (and they support universal healthcare). Have a good day.

https://www.aafp.org/students-residents/medical-students/begin-your-medical-education/debt-management/funding-options/forgiveness.html

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Thanks Christa. Congratulations to both of them. The debt is horrendous. Some of the bill I mentioned is supposed to add to the federal debt forgiveness program. I'll forward a link to you and see if it interests them.

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Can you address how many people lose their housing because of medical debt? Or would you know how to find out?

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Hi Christa, It's a good topic for me to address. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Medical debt and homelessness are linked. One study in Seattle, WA found that if there was medical debt then homelessness was increased by 2 years.

Here is that link

https://languageservices.sagepub.com/en/files/sage-pls-sample-3.pdf

Nationwide, about 100 million people have some form of health care debt. Of those, about 1 in 5 said the debts have forced them to change their living situation, including moving in with friends or family according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Here is that reference -

https://www.kff.org/health-costs/report/kff-health-care-debt-survey/

I hope this helps....Alan

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Thanks Christa. I will see what I can find.

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