HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — As Baby Boomers age, the need for health care grows, and yet at the same time, the U.S. is looking at a shortage of more than 63,000 nurses by the year 2030.
A small way of trying to combat this is a new bill proposed by Rep. Jen Kiggans — the PRECEPT Nurses Act, which would establish a $2,000 tax credit for nurses who serve as clinical mentors to nursing students. It has support from both sides of the aisle.
Preceptors are experienced, licensed clinicians who bridge the gap between theory and practice, providing one-on-one mentorship and training for those looking to make nursing a career.“And as a nurse practitioner, I’ve had students and I love them and that opportunity to teach and train them, but it’s a little extra time and effort in the clinic settings,” Kiggans said. “So we wanted to offer just an incentive to our nurses who are already overworked and underpaid.”…