U.S. senator Ted Budd is co-sponsoring a bill aimed at helping the military ease its critical shortage of nurses.
More than 85 percent of military hospitals have reported nursing shortages, including those at Fort Liberty and Camp Lejeune.
Budd said the new law would help the military retain civilian nurses who earn higher degrees on the job. "I think it’s important to prioritize efforts to decrease the overall health workforce shortage and reward qualified military personnel who want to stay in the military health system," he said, "Nurses who want to continue caring for our service members and their families, they deserve compensation requisite with their education and experience."
A current regulation keeps them from getting full credit for experience at a lower level of certification when they attain a new level. The law would change that.