For some time now, the country has had a shortage of trained nurses. A nurse at any level, from a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) to a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or a Registered Nurse (RN) can find a job anywhere in the country — but there aren't enough nurses to fill the need. More advanced nurses, like Nurse-Practitioners (NP) are increasingly taking over some of the work traditionally done by doctors, which has some effect in lowering healthcare costs but also places more strain in the country's supply of nursing staff. Nowhere is this felt more keenly than in the nation's nursing homes.
Enter President Trump, who, while speaking at a rally in Florida, described a new plan for incentivizing young people to work as nurses in just these facilities.
President Donald Trump announced on Friday a new $275 million initiative to recruit and retain nurses in nursing homes during a rally in Fort Myers, Florida, calling the effort "breaking news for the benefit of American seniors."
The Nurses for Nursing Homes program is expected to support more than 4,000 nurses nationwide, according to a formal announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
"Today I have breaking news for the benefit of American seniors," Trump said. "I’m pleased to announce that the Trump administration is investing in nurses and elder-care facilities all across America, including in the great state of Florida. You need them."
It sounds a good plan, and the benefits for proposed nursing-home staff are considerable.
Eligible participants may receive up to $40,000 in student-loan repayment and/or a $10,000 stipend in exchange for a three-year commitment to work an average of at least 30 hours per week at a qualifying nursing home.
CMS has committed $100 million to the program, while states are committing at least another $175 million. The initiative is funded through civil monetary penalties collected by CMS and states from nursing homes.
Those of us who have family in the nursing profession, as well as those of us who have or have had relatives and loved ones in nursing care facilities, are all too familiar with this problem. My oldest daughter, a nurse practitioner with 15 years' experience in emergency medicine, now runs her own small clinic and retains two nurses. According to her, the problem is across the field. But too many nursing homes are short-staffed, with a nurse/patient ratio that can make it difficult to provide the level of immediate care these generally elderly and often fragile patients require. In small rural communities, the problem can be even worse.
This new proposed effort will be a joint federal and local one, with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) kicking in $100 million, and the states — all 50 have signed on — picking up another $175 million. The program will also prioritize those same rural communities.
Here's the best part: If any Democrats are about to complain about the cost of this, and mind you, Democrats only become concerned about spending when it's a Republican proposal on the table, we might point out that, since January of 2025, the Trump administration has uncovered over $4.6 billion in Medicare fraud, and another $2 billion in Medicaid fraud. That's a pretty good tradeoff; and, if anyone has a young person in their family or circle of friends who is looking for a good career choice, nursing is one of the better ones they could pick right now.