 STATEHOUSE (Jan. 31, 2022) – Vanderburgh County lawmakers are working to alleviate the state’s severe nursing shortage and support Hoosier nurses by supporting legislation recently advanced by the Indiana House.
State Rep. Matt Hostettler (R-Patoka) said by 2031, 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 is in addition to the current 4,300 nursing job openings statewide.
“This legislation would help ensure we grow our nursing workforce so that we can meet our state’s needs,” Hostettler said.
He said this legislation would boost the health care workforce pipeline by providing flexibility to Indiana’s nurses seeking licensure. The legislation would also give flexibility to nursing programs and nurse educators to help meet workforce needs, and help nursing students working to obtain the required hours to be licensed.
State Rep. Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville) said the bill would allow nursing programs to increase enrollment at faster rates, accept clinical simulation hours, and reduce the required amount of experience needed for a registered nurse to become a nursing instructor, all while maintaining high-quality training for all nursing students.
“Giving nursing students, educators and programs more flexibility will increase the talent pool in our state,” McNamara said. “With many students looking for more opportunities, this legislation is a common-sense approach for Indiana and has bipartisan support.”
State Rep. Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville) said pandemic-related protocols prolonged the process for many nursing students seeking licensure, and this bill would give nursing students and registered nurses more freedom to grow and join the workforce.
“The nursing shortage in our state affects all Hoosiers,” O’Brien said. “That’s why we want to encourage more students to consider and pursue this important field, and improving the pathway to becoming a nurse is a critical part of that.”
The bill shares broad support from hospital systems, nursing schools, long-term care facilities, the Indiana Nurses Association, Indiana Hospital Association and Indiana Health Care Association.
House Bill 1003 now moves to the Senate for consideration. To learn more, visit iga.in.gov.
