NCSBN Responds to White House FY2018 Budget Outlin

CHICAGO, March 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yesterday, the White House released their FY 2018 Budget outline, “America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again,” which proposes cutting $403 million from federal health professional and nursing workforce programs and $5.8 billion from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which includes the National Institute for Nursing Research (NINR).

In response, National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) CEO David Benton, RGN, PhD, FFNF, FRCN, FAAN, made the following statement:

“NCSBN opposes the cuts to nursing workforce programs as proposed in the White House’s budget blueprint. The way that health care is delivered is rapidly changing and we must strive to understand what impact that has on the nursing workforce and the competencies nurses require. We must provide education to the professionals that deliver care in this ever evolving environment. By not funding the tools that help us comprehend how health care is changing, we will be unable to equip nurses with the necessary skills to care for patients, effectively putting those patients unnecessarily at risk."

He continued: "Through its own research and the research of NIH and NINR, NCSBN seeks to promote evidence-based regulatory excellence for patient safety and public protection. Cutting funding for health research at the NIH and NINR is not only counter to NCSBN’s mission, it is also antithetical to the very premise of providing evidence of efficacy that the White House is seeking to deliver through their budget blueprint. In this financially challenged environment, ensuring that nursing research supports these efforts is critically important to improving safety for patients, facilitating access and achieving optimal efficiency and effectiveness.”

Founded March 15, 1978, as an independent not-for-profit organization, NCSBN was created to lessen the burdens of state governments and bring together boards of nursing (BONs) to act and counsel together on matters of common interest. NCSBN’s membership is comprised of the BONs in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories — American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands. There are also 27 associate members that are either nursing regulatory bodies or empowered regulatory authorities from other countries or territories.

NCSBN Member Boards protect the public by ensuring that safe and competent nursing care is provided by licensed nurses. These BONs regulate more than 4.5 million licensed nurses.

Mission: NCSBN provides education, service and research through collaborative leadership to promote evidence-based regulatory excellence for patient safety and public protection.

The statements and opinions expressed are those of NCSBN and not the individual member state or territorial boards of nursing.

Contact: Dawn M. Kappel Director, Marketing and Communications 312.525.3667 direct 312.279.1034 fax dkappel@ncsbn.org