FY 2014 Final FY 2015 Enacted FY 2016 President’s Budget FY 2016 +/- FY 2015 BA $37,913,000 $39,913,000 $39,913,000 --- FTE 3 4 4 ---
Authorizing Legislation: Section 831 and Section 831A of the Public Health Service Act, as amended by the Affordable Care Act
FY 2016 Authorizations:
Section 831... Expired FY 2015 Section 831A………..Expired FY 2012 Allocation Method ... Competitive Grant/Contract Program Goal and Description: The Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention
(NEPQR) Program seeks to build and expand nursing educational programs to increase the number of qualified nurses in the health care workforce through academic, service, and continuing professional training projects designed to enhance nursing education, improve the quality of patient care, increase nurse retention and strengthen the nursing workforce. The program is particularly focused on helping health care providers collaborate in interprofessional teams through its work with nurse managed health centers, and also helping nursing schools work with veterans and service members to transition their medical training into the civilian nursing workforce to help meet our Nation’s health workforce needs. NEPQR also invests in the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (IPE) which supports health care transformation to collaborative team-based care by addressing the disconnect between health professions education and practice communities. The Center also makes a difference in the health of people and communities by integrating interprofessional practice and education to enhance patient care, control costs, and improve health outcomes.
Need: A growing and aging population and changing models of primary care practice continue to increase the demand for high-quality nursing services and coordinated interprofessional care. At the same time, the nursing workforce is steadily aging and projected retirements from the workforce are expected to significantly shrink the supply of qualified personnel. The NEPQR program seeks to address this gap by increasing our nation’s nursing workforce and improving the skills and capabilities of the workforce. The program also addresses the inequitable
distribution of the nursing workforce by working with grantees that have a proven track record in underserved areas, rural populations and public health nursing needs.
Eligible Entities: Accreditedschools of nursing, health care facilities, and partnerships of a nursing school and health care facility.
Designated Health Professions: Targeted Educational Levels: Grantee Activities: • Licensed practical nurses • Registered nurses • Advanced practice registered nurses •Baccalaureate education •Advanced nursing education •Continuing professional training
• Expand enrollment in baccalaureate nursing programs.
• Provide education in new technologies including simulation learning and distance learning methodologies.
•Develop internships and residency programs.
•Develop career ladder programs to promote career mobility in nursing.
•Develop cultural competencies.
•Offer programs to promote nurse retention.
•Develop skills in care enhancements congruent with emerging health care systems.
•Increase access to care for underserved and high-risk populations
•Increase access to interprofessional clinical training and practice for basic and advanced practice nurses.
Program Accomplishments: The Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention program (NEPQR) program has a variety of legislative goals and purposes that ultimately aim to increase the size, preparation and quality of the nursing workforce. In Academic Year 2013-2014, a number of grants were funded to support several of the program's legislative purposes such as supporting nurse-managed health clinics that serve as primary care access points in areas where primary care providers are in short supply and supporting the new Veterans’ Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VBSN) program. Other purposes of the program including expansion of BSN degree programs, recruiting and training personal and home care aides, and training nursing assistants and home health aides are either completing their funding cycles or no longer a focus as other purposes (i.e., VBSN program) are now being emphasized.
With regard to the expansion of BSN degree programs, the NEPQR program funded seven expansion projects which resulted in the training of more than 1,289 BSN students during academic year. Of these, a total of 490 graduated and may enter the workforce as baccalaureate- level nurses. The NEPQR program was not able to meet its goal of funding 22 expansion projects as the program focused its efforts on supporting VBSN projects that seek to expand the nursing workforce and improve employment opportunities for veterans.
The NEPQR program also funded a number of grants to focus on the recruitment and training of individuals as qualified nursing assistants and personal and home care aides. These grants concluded during Academic Year 2013-2014. The program achieved an overall result of 7,013 new nursing assistants and personal and home health care aides entering the workforce and exceeding the program goal of 5,169.
The NEPQR program funded the Veterans’ Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VBSN) program for the first time during Academic Year 2013-2014 and made awards to nine schools. This program is designed to increase enrollment, progression, and graduation of veterans from BSN degree programs. Data was collected over a nine month period and showed that a total of 45 veterans were enrolled in BSN degree programs and that five graduated with a BSN degree. Further analysis showed that 53 percent were female and between the ages of 20-29 years (51 percent). It is estimated that 42 percent of participating veterans were underrepresented minorities in the field of nursing, and 56 percent reported coming a financially and/or educationally
disadvantaged background. About half of the veterans received clinical training in a primary care setting during the academic year. VBSN grantees enhanced or developed a total of 11 academic courses that trained a total of 66 participants (participants may have taken more than one course and are counted in each course taken). Grantees also implemented two structured faculty development programs and supported 22 faculty development conferences and
workshops designed to enhance the teaching of veterans. A total of 241 faculty were trained as a result of these faculty development programs and activities.
Lastly, the NEPQR program funded several Nurse Managed Health Clinics (NMHC) with the primary purpose of creating infrastructure and also serving as clinical training sites for students across the health professions. It is estimated that more than 900 health professions students were trained as a result of these activities—though the majority of students trained at BHW- supported NMHCs were nursing students pursuing a graduate-level nurse practitioner degree. Results from the analyses of demographic data showed that the majority of students trained at HRSA-supported NMHCs were female (91 percent) and between the ages of 20-29 (70 percent). Further analyses of data showed that the majority of NMHCs and associated training sites were primarily located in medically underserved communities (94 percent) and served as a primary care setting for their local community (54 percent). Across HRSA-supported training sites, 40 percent of vulnerable populations treated by NMHCs were to provide service to veterans and their families. Funding History FY Amount FY 2012 $39,638,000 FY 2013 $37,113,000 FY 2014 $37,913,000 FY 2015 $39,913,000 FY 2016 $39,913,000 181
Budget Request
The FY 2016 Budget Request is $39,913,000. The FY 2016 Budget is the same as the FY 2015 Enacted level. This request will enable HRSA to provide nursing educational opportunities, train nurses in clinical practice skills, and provide continuing professional training to the nursing workforce to enhance the quality of patient care. Projects will particularly focus on supporting veterans to become nurses and on developing and disseminating collaborative practice models that incorporate the full range of health care workers in team-based care. HRSA is also continuing support for the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education to enhance the coordination and capacity building for interprofessional practice and education among health professions across the U.S.
The funding request also includes costs associated with the grant review and award process, follow up performance reviews, and information technology and other program support costs. Outcomes and Outputs Tables
The NEPQR program has several purposes and solicits applications addressing any of its education, practice and retention purposes, one of which is accelerated BSN education projects. The purposes of the NEPQR are broad and flexible, allowing the program to address the
emerging needs in nursing workforce development to advance education and practice priorities. As the program adapts to these emerging needs and priorities in the future, new outcome measures will be added as appropriate.
Measure Year and Most
Recent Result /Target for Recent
Result (Summary of Result)120 FY 2015 Target FY 2016 Target FY 2016 +/- FY 2015 6.I.C.6: Number of Personal Care and Home Health Aides completing training program
403 Target: 1,723
(Target Not Met) N/A121 N/A ---
Number of nursing students trained in interprofessional team- based care
--- Set Baseline TBD ---
Number of nurses and nursing students trained in interprofessional team-based care
--- Set Baseline TBD ---
120 Most recent results are for Academic Year 2013-2014 and funded in FY 2013. 121 Program will be discontinued in FY13.
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Measure Year and Most Recent Result /Target for Recent
Result (Summary of Result)120 FY 2015 Target FY 2016 Target FY 2016 +/- FY 2015 Number of expanded BSN education projects 7 Target: 22 (Target Not Met)
N/A122 N/A ---
Number of BSN student participants
1,289 Target: 4,860 (Target Not Met)
N/A123 N/A ---
Grant Awards Table
(whole dollars) FY 2014 Final FY 2015 Enacted FY 2016 President’s Budget Number of Awards 83 90 90 Average Award $411,000 $435,000 $435,000 Range of Awards $40,500-$790,000 $134,000-$788,000 $134,000-$788,000
122 Measure will be discontinued in FY 15. 123 Measure will be discontinued in FY 15.
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