Letter to U.S. Senator Roberts and Brownback

Kansas Nurse, Sep 2003 by Johnson, Terri

September 4, 2003

Senator Sam Brownback

Senate Hart 303

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Brownback,

Today, Senator Collins (R-Maine) and Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) arc expected to propose an amendment to the Senate Committee bill (S. 1356) and the bill (H.R. 2660) that passed the House. It would increase the funding for nursing education by $63 million in the HHS appropriations bill. Both pieces of legislation short change support for one of the most needed professionals-nurses.

It has been well documented this nation has a critical shortage of professional nurses to educate and care for the nursing needs of its citizens. As many of us retire, nursing faculty are not available to teach those wishing to study for nursing careers. Others, by virtue of a desire for a second career, ethnicity, and /or the desire to work in this field, often need a boost as we work to complete a most rigorous curricula. Without this funding, the benefits of the Nurse Reinvestment Act will never come to fruition.

The Kansas State Nurses Association asks for your support of the Collins-Mikulski amendment to add $63M in funding of the Nursing Workforce programs which were given no increase. It is important that our citizens receive the quality of care they need from appropriately educated nurses.

We urge you to vote "Yes" for this amendment.

Thank you,

Terri Johnson, MSN, ARNP

President

Kansas State Nurses Association

Terri Johnson, MSN, ARNP

President

Kansas State Nurses Association