[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5576 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5576

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a pilot program 
  to be conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs to assess the 
          benefits of establishing a nurse preceptor program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 8, 2002

  Mr. Lynch introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a pilot program 
  to be conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs to assess the 
          benefits of establishing a nurse preceptor program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Veterans Affairs Nurse 
Preceptor Pilot Program Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The number of nurses retiring in the next 10 years is 
        expected to far exceed the number of new nurses joining the 
        workforce, resulting in a nationwide nursing shortage.
            (2) This shortage will certainly affect health care 
        facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, which, like 
        many other health care facilities, are already seeing a 
        shrinking pool of highly trained nurses.
            (3) Nursing care is vital to providing the best patient 
        care possible and, as the nursing shortage worsens, care for 
        veterans who have sacrificed much for the liberties and 
        freedoms enjoyed by the American people will suffer.

SEC. 3. NURSE PRECEPTOR PILOT PROGRAM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Pilot program.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
        conduct a pilot program to assess the advantages and 
        disadvantages of establishing a nurse preceptor program at 
        Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities.
            (2) Nature of program.--The nurse preceptor pilot program 
        shall consist of a rigorous training program to develop nurse 
        preceptors who will act as mentors to newly hired registered 
        nurses at Department of Veterans Affairs health care 
        facilities.
    (b) Structure of Program.--The nurse preceptor program shall 
include the following:
            (1) For registered nurses interested in becoming 
        preceptors, Intensive training and screening programs.
            (2) For registered nurses selected to be nurse preceptors--
                    (A) continuous professional development classes; 
                and
                    (B) an annual salary increase equal to 5 percent of 
                gross annual salary.
    (c) Interim Reports to Congress.--Each calendar year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act until the termination of the pilot 
program, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives a report on the effectiveness and usefulness of the 
nurse preceptor pilot program.
    (d) Location of Pilot Program.--The nurse preceptor pilot program 
shall be conducted through health care facilities of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs located in the service region of the Veterans Health 
Administration designated as Veterans Integrated Service Network 1 
(``VISN 1'').
    (e) Duration of Program.--The pilot program shall be conducted 
during the two-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
    (f) Final Report.--Not later than 30 days after the end of the 
pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a final report on the pilot program. The Secretary shall 
include in the report the following:
            (1) The Secretary's assessment of the benefits to veterans 
        of the pilot program.
            (2) The Secretary's assessment of the effect of the pilot 
        program on the Department of Veterans Affairs, including the 
        effect on retention of a qualified nursing staff.
            (3) Any other findings and conclusions of the Secretary 
        with respect to the pilot program.
            (4) Any recommendations of the Secretary for continuation 
        of the pilot program or for extension of the pilot program to 
        other service regions or to all service regions.
                                 <all>