It's Time to Address America's Nursing Shortage | Opinion

It's an honor to represent the hardworking people of Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. Service is at the core of who I am—from serving our country as a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, to serving our Greatest Generation as a geriatric nurse practitioner, to now serving in the halls of Congress.

A few months ago, my office received a letter from a young woman who works as a family nurse practitioner. She expressed concerns about the shortage of nurse preceptors available to train nursing students, which is hindering their education, delaying graduations, and contributing to the staggering nursing shortage American patients are experiencing across the country. In 2025 alone, there is a projected shortage of 78,610 full-time registered nurses, and by 2030, 42 out of 50 states are projected to experience shortages in nursing staff.

To become a registered nurse, most states require several hundred hours of clinical training led by a certified nurse preceptor. Nurse preceptors are licensed nurses who serve as role models and educators, helping new nurses develop their clinical skills and knowledge. They supervise both nursing students and newly graduated nurses during their clinical rotations, providing them with critical hands-on training, guidance, and support.

To become a preceptor, nurses must undergo extensive training—often at their own expense. Unfortunately, many nurses cite an ever-increasing workload, burnout, and lack of institutional support as reasons for choosing not to become a preceptor. The resulting lack of nurse preceptors is not just discouraging those interested in pursuing a career in nursing from joining the health care workforce, but it is also preventing us from effectively tackling our nation's nursing shortage.

When I came to Congress in 2023, I was the only nurse practitioner among 435 members and 100 senators. I know the vital role nurses play in communities across the country and have seen firsthand how the ongoing nursing shortage negatively impacts patients. America's nurses work from sun-up to sundown to provide lifesaving care. We must do our part to provide them the training they need, prevent burnout in their workforce, and encourage more men and women to take up the profession.

That's why I worked to turn one constituent's concerns into real action in Washington and introduced the PRECEPT Nurses Act as my first new bill this Congress.

Specifically, my bipartisan legislation aims to address our country's nursing shortage by establishing a $2,000 tax credit for nurses who serve as a clinical preceptor to nursing students. By creating more opportunities for both existing nurses and nursing students, the PRECEPT Nurses Act can help triage the health care workforce shortage and provide better, more reliable care to America's patients.

Without the PRECEPT Nurses Act, the health care workforce shortage in our country will continue to pose a real threat to quality patient care. According to a recent report, a shortage of nursing school faculty, including nurse preceptors, is greatly restricting nursing program enrollments. In 2023 alone, U.S. nursing schools were forced to turn away over 65,000 qualified applications due to insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, and clinical preceptors. We cannot allow that to continue.

That's not to mention a significant segment of the current nursing workforce is nearing retirement age. Roughly 23 percent of registered nurses working in outpatient, ambulatory, and clinical settings have retired or plan to retire over the next five years. As the current generation of nurses phases out of the workforce, we must uplift our younger generation and eliminate the existing barriers hindering their education and training.

By offering a financial incentive to nurse preceptors, my PRECEPT Nurses Act will help America rebuild our health care workforce.

Thankfully, supporting nurses is not a partisan issue; I was proud to introduce this important bill alongside Representatives Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), and Jim Costa (D-Calif.) in the U.S. House. Since then, Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate.

I hope my colleagues will quickly support the PRECEPT Nurses Act and pass this important legislation. We must deliver a meaningful solution to the nursing shortage that will help bridge health care access gaps in Virginia and throughout the country.

To put it simply, we cannot afford to undervalue the essential contributions our nurses make at this pivotal moment as our country grapples with such a dire health care worker shortage. America's registered nurses, nursing students, and patients deserve better.

Congresswoman Jen Kiggans proudly serves Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. In Congress, she serves on the House Armed Services, Veterans' Affairs, and Natural Resources Committees. Prior to public office, Congresswoman Kiggans served 10 years as a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and worked in the health care system as a geriatric nurse practitioner. She is a proud Navy Wife to her husband Steve and mom to their four children.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.