🩺 Training More Nurses

There’s one challenge we’re hearing again and again from hospitals and healthcare providers across Iowa: we don’t have enough nurses. 

From rural clinics to major hospitals, the shortage is making it harder for Iowans to get the timely care they deserve and forcing existing staff to work longer hours to fill the gap.

Zoom out: In Iowa — and across the country — the numbers tell an alarming story. 

➡️ Over half of Iowa’s nurses are 50+

➡️ Nearly 70% of Iowa facilities can’t fill open positions 

➡️ Nationwide, 100,000+ nursing school applicants were turned away in 2022 

Why it matters: Behind each of these numbers are longer wait times for patients, fewer hands on deck, and exhausted nursing staff doing more with less. 

Closing the care gap means strengthening the workforce behind it. That’s why we’ve worked closely with MercyOne and the Iowa Hospital Association on commonsense solutions, including the bill we introduced this week at Clive Behavioral Health aimed at training and supporting the next generation of nurses.

🎥 Watch the full press event here:

The Train More Nurses Act would: 

✅ Grow our nurse educator workforce, especially in rural and underserved communities 

✅ Create clear pathways for experienced nurses to transition into teaching roles

✅ Support a streamlined pathway for Licenced Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses

✅ Strengthen federal programs that train, place, and retain caregivers in Iowa communities

Bottom Line: Iowa families deserve timely, quality care. By training more nurses and supporting the educators helping to fill the care gap, our bill works with the resources we already have to deliver results for Iowa communities.