CMS commits $75 million for long-term care nursing workforce

Funding offers a critical opportunity to close staffing gaps, improve care quality, and support vulnerable populations

The American Nurses Association (ANA) urges governors and state leaders to fully engage in the state matching process so their communities can access $75 million in new federal funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) dedicated to strengthening the long-term care nursing workforce.

The funding committed by CMS underscores the importance of investing in nurses and will support states in strengthening workforce development programs for nurses and nursing assistants in long-term care facilities. This targeted investment serves as a meaningful step toward addressing the nation’s urgent healthcare workforce challenges and supporting care for vulnerable populations.

“Reinvesting these dollars into programs that support nurses is both a smart policy decision and a necessary investment into our nation’s health,” said ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “We urge every governor to fully leverage the available funding so facilities can recruit and retain the nurses and certified nursing assistants that patients depend on every day.”

This investment is an important step forward, and ANA emphasizes that sustained federal support remains essential for nursing education and workforce programs. Robust Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development funding, including the Nursing Faculty Loan Repayment program, remains critical to expanding training capacity and ensuring qualified faculty remain available to prepare the next generation of nurses.

To protect funding for nurses and get involved, visit RNAction.org.

American Nurses Association Elections

In December, the ANA Nominations and Elections Committee will issue a call for nominations for a slate of candidates to be presented to the Membership Assembly in 2026 for election to these national offices.

The following positions will be open for election in 2026:

ANA Board of Directors
Two (2) Officers:

• President
• Secretary

Three (3) Directors-at-Large:

• Two (2) Directors-at-Large
• One (1) Director-at-Large, Staff Nurse

The term of service for all board positions is January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2028.
ANA Nominations and Elections Committee

• Three (3) Member positions

The term of service for Nominations and Elections Committee positions is January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2029.
Visit ANA’s nominations and elections web page for helpful resources, position descriptions, and forthcoming information on key deadlines and how to apply at this link or scan the QR code: nursingworld.org/ana/leadership-and-governance/volunteer-committees/nominations-elections.

See You Now: New season features lively conversations

See You Now, a podcast from the American Nurses Association (ANA) and Johnson & Johnson, celebrated 5 years in June. In its new season, the award-winning podcast, hosted by Shawna Butler, MBA, RN, explores more nurse-led innovation with discussions about patient safety, workforce challenges, mental health advancement, AI, whole-person care, and more.

In episode 126, “Working Smarter, Not Harder,” part of the podcast’s AI in Play series, Mayo Clinic System Chief Nursing Officer Ryannon Frederick, MS, RN, shares how her organization uses tools like ambient documentation and nurse virtual assistants to give nurses more time with patients and help strengthen the workforce. Frederick, a Florida Nurses Association member, uses a “for nurses, by nurses” model to transform innovation at Mayo.
Barbara Chapman, DNP, MBA, APRN, FNP-C, NHDP, PMHNP-BC, a Texas Nurses Association member, joins Butler in episode 124, “On the Road to Rural Care.” With more than 4 million people living in rural areas, Texas needs methods to get patients the care they need. Chapman is committed to finding solutions and expanding access for all.

In episode 123, “Safer Together: The Architecture of a Movement,” the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Patricia McGaffigan, MS, RN, CPPS, and Donald Berwick, MD, discuss the institute’s Safer Together: National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety, the first public-private collaboration to address preventable harm.

In their talk with Butler, McGaffigan, an ANA Massachusetts member, and Berwick emphasize that safety is a collective responsibility.

Additionally, See You Now has launched a new series called Insights, which highlights quick but meaningful conversations from its archives. Episodes include “The Power of Love in Patient Safety,” “Honoring Loss, Holding Space, Healing Together,” and “Better Conversations Build a Workforce That Can Thrive.”

Take advantage of ANA’s See You Now podcast bundles to earn CNE. Bundles include Nurses Inspiring Nurses, Advocacy to Activism, Rooting Out Racism in Health Care, Access to Primary Care, Health Equity, Mental Health, and Technology-Driven Care. Register for a bundle at bit.ly/42vxEDT.

New OJIN topic: The humanitarian spirit of nursing

Nurses have long served as the foundation of humanitarian health efforts, whether in disasters, conflict zones, refugee crises, or underserved communities, writes Molly McCullough, MSN, BA, RN, NE-BC, CNDLTC, in OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Besides providing clinical care, nurses embody humanitarian values that lead to real improvements in health outcomes. This new topic explores how nurses’ humanitarian roles—rooted in compassion and personal connection—are closely linked to advocacy efforts, which in turn enhance patient and population health.

The September topic offers insights into the ways nurses advocate for themselves and their patients in the United States and across the globe. Highlights include:

• Examining challenges and opportunities for nurses practicing at all levels to aid in humanitarian efforts.
• Understanding how community mental health offers opportunities for nurses in post-graduate fellowship programs to impact and advocate for vulnerable patients in challenging conditions.
• Considering a framework that affirms a shared humanitarian vision toward inclusive advocacy using popular culture moral philosophy.
• Learning how increasing the number of nurses in Guyana through education and outreach may impact access to surgical care.
• Exploring everyday examples of nurses engaged in humanitarian efforts in the United States.

OJIN, ANA’s scholarly journal, is a peer-reviewed, online publication that addresses current topics affecting nursing practice, research, education, and healthcare.

Visit ojin.nursingworld.org to access the current members-only topic. Eight new articles on previous topics are available to all viewers, along with newly posted ANA position statements.