§296p. Nurse education, practice, quality, and retention grants

(a) Education priority areas

The Secretary may award grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities for-

(1) expanding the enrollment in baccalaureate nursing programs; or

(2) providing education in new technologies, including distance learning methodologies.

(b) Practice priority areas

The Secretary may award grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities for-

(1) establishing or expanding nursing practice arrangements in noninstitutional settings to demonstrate methods to improve access to primary health care in medically underserved communities;

(2) providing care for underserved populations and high risk groups, such as the elderly, individuals with HIV/AIDS, individuals with mental health or substance use disorders, individuals who are homeless, and survivors of domestic violence;

(3) providing coordinated care, and other skills needed to practice in existing and emerging organized health care systems; or

(4) developing cultural competencies among nurses.

(c) Retention priority areas

The Secretary may award grants to and enter into contracts with eligible entities to enhance the nursing workforce by initiating and maintaining nurse retention programs pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2).

(1) Grants for career ladder programs

The Secretary may award grants to and enter into contracts with eligible entities for programs-

(A) to promote career advancement for-

(i) nursing in a variety of training settings, cross training or specialty training among diverse population groups, and the advancement of individuals including to become professional registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and nurses with graduate nursing education; and

(ii) individuals including licensed practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses, certified nurse assistants, home health aides, diploma degree or associate degree nurses, and other health professionals, such as health aides or community health practitioners certified under the Community Health Aide Program of the Indian Health Service, to become registered nurses with baccalaureate degrees or nurses with graduate nursing education;

(B) to assist individuals in obtaining education and training required to enter the nursing profession and advance within such profession, such as by providing career counseling and mentoring; and

(C) developing and implementing internships, accredited fellowships, and accredited residency programs in collaboration with one or more accredited schools of nursing, to encourage the mentoring and development of specialties.

(2) Enhancing patient care delivery systems

(A) Grants

The Secretary may award grants to eligible entities to improve the retention of nurses and enhance patient care that is directly related to nursing activities by enhancing collaboration and communication among nurses and other health care professionals, and by promoting nurse involvement in the organizational and clinical decisionmaking processes of a health care facility.

(B) Preference

In making awards of grants under this paragraph, the Secretary shall give a preference to applicants that have not previously received an award under this paragraph.

(C) Continuation of an award

The Secretary shall make continuation of any award under this paragraph beyond the second year of such award contingent on the recipient of such award having demonstrated to the Secretary measurable and substantive improvement in nurse retention or patient care.

(d) Other priority areas

The Secretary may award grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities to address other areas that are of high priority to nurse education, practice, and retention, as determined by the Secretary.

(e) Report

As part of the report on nursing workforce programs described in section 296e(i) of this title, the Secretary shall include a report on the grants awarded and the contracts entered into under this section. Each such report shall identify the overall number of such grants and contracts and provide an explanation of why each such grant or contract will meet the priority need of the nursing workforce.

(f) Eligible entity

For purposes of this section, the term "eligible entity" includes an accredited school of nursing, as defined in section 296(2) of this title, a health care facility, including federally qualified health centers or nurse-managed health clinics, or a partnership of such a school and facility a health care facility, or a partnership of such a school and facility.¹

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VIII, §831, as added Pub. L. 105–392, title I, §123(4), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3568 ; amended Pub. L. 107–205, title II, §201, Aug. 1, 2002, 116 Stat. 815 ; Pub. L. 111–148, title V, §5309(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 629 ; Pub. L. 116–136, div. A, title III, §3404(a)(6), Mar. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 393 .)

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 831 of act July 1, 1944, was classified to section 297–1 of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 105–392.

Amendments

2020-Pub. L. 116–136, §3404(a)(6)(A), substituted "quality, and retention grants" for "and quality grants" in section catchline.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 116–136, §3404(a)(6)(B), substituted "high risk groups, such as the elderly, individuals with HIV/AIDS, individuals with mental health or substance use disorders, individuals who are homeless, and survivors" for "other high-risk groups such as the elderly, individuals with HIV/AIDS, substance abusers, the homeless, and victims".

Subsec. (c)(1)(A). Pub. L. 116–136, §3404(a)(6)(C)(i)(I), substituted "advancement for-" for "advancement for nursing personnel" and inserted "(i) nursing" before "in a variety".

Subsec. (c)(1)(A)(i). Pub. L. 116–136, §3404(a)(6)(C)(i)(II), substituted "professional registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and nurses with graduate nursing education" for "professional nurses, advanced education nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nurse assistants, and home health aides".

Subsec. (c)(1)(A)(ii). Pub. L. 116–136, §3404(a)(6)(C)(i)(III), added cl. (ii).

Subsec. (c)(1)(C). Pub. L. 116–136, §3404(a)(6)(C)(ii), (iii), added subpar. (C).

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 116–136, §3404(a)(6)(F), substituted "As part of the report on nursing workforce programs described in section 296e(i) of this title, the Secretary shall include" for "The Secretary shall submit to the Congress before the end of each fiscal year".

Pub. L. 116–136, §3404(a)(6)(D), (E), redesignated subsec. (f) as (e) and struck out former subsec. (e). Prior to amendment, text of subsec. (e) read as follows: "For purposes of any amount of funds appropriated to carry out this section for fiscal year 2003, 2004, or 2005 that is in excess of the amount of funds appropriated to carry out this section for fiscal year 2002, the Secretary shall give preference to awarding grants or entering into contracts under subsections (a)(2) and (c)."

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 116–136, §3404(a)(6)(G), substituted "an accredited school of nursing, as defined in section 296(2) of this title, a health care facility, including federally qualified health centers or nurse-managed health clinics, or a partnership of such a school and facility" for "a school of nursing, as defined in section 296(2) of this title,,".

Pub. L. 116–136, §3404(a)(6)(E), redesignated subsec. (g) as (f). Former subsec. (f) redesignated (e).

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 116–136, §3404(a)(6)(E), redesignated subsec. (g) as (f).

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 116–136, §3404(a)(6)(D), struck out subsec. (h). Text read as follows: "There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014."

2010-Pub. L. 111–148, §5309(a)(1), substituted "quality" for "retention" in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–148, §5309(a)(2), in par. (1), inserted "or" at end, redesignated par. (3) as (2), and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: "developing and implementing internship and residency programs to encourage mentoring and the development of specialties; or".

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 111–148, §5309(a)(3), substituted "coordinated care" for "managed care, quality improvement".

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 111–148, §5309(a)(4), inserted ", as defined in section 296(2) of this title," after "school of nursing".

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 111–148, §5309(a)(5), substituted "2010 through 2014" for "2003 through 2007".

2002-Pub. L. 107–205 amended section catchline and text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:

"(a) In General.-The Secretary may award grants to and enter into contracts with eligible entities for projects to strengthen capacity for basic nurse education and practice.

"(b) Priority Areas.-In awarding grants or contracts under this section the Secretary shall give priority to entities that will use amounts provided under such a grant or contract to enhance the educational mix and utilization of the basic nursing workforce by strengthening programs that provide basic nurse education, such as through-

"(1) establishing or expanding nursing practice arrangements in noninstitutional settings to demonstrate methods to improve access to primary health care in medically underserved communities;

"(2) providing care for underserved populations and other high-risk groups such as the elderly, individuals with HIV-AIDS, substance abusers, the homeless, and victims of domestic violence;

"(3) providing managed care, quality improvement, and other skills needed to practice in existing and emerging organized health care systems;

"(4) developing cultural competencies among nurses;

"(5) expanding the enrollment in baccalaureate nursing programs;

"(6) promoting career mobility for nursing personnel in a variety of training settings and cross training or specialty training among diverse population groups;

"(7) providing education in informatics, including distance learning methodologies; or

"(8) other priority areas as determined by the Secretary."

¹ So in original.