Pennsylvania is a national leader in nursing education
PA graduated 2,410 nurse practitioners last yearWe should use our strengths to their full advantage. Policymakers can take some straightforward steps to make sure the NPs we educate in PA choose to practice here. Here is what I recommend we do:We should maintain and expand state funding for loan forgiveness for all providers, especially those in underserved communities.We need PA to outcompete neighboring states, including Maryland and New York.
including AARP Pennsylvania, the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of PA, the Insurance Federation of PA, the PA Rural Health Association, and many more.As we recover from the latest COVID-19 wave and rebuild workforce capacity, we should extend the temporary waivers that make us more flexible. With fine-tuning, some of them could be made permanent.
All of these ideas are tried and true. They will improve patient care, protect patient safety, expand access to care, and lower costs. Best of all, they leverage Pennsylvania’s great strengths to solve our biggest challenges. NPs and policymakers can take on any problem if we work together. Dr. Cheryl Schlamb, DNP, CRNP, is President of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners. She is Chair of the Nursing Program at West Chester University and lives in Coatesville.
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