In 2021, Congress passed the federal American Rescue Plan Act (HR 1319). Its passage provided a unique opportunity for Oklahoma to make significant investments in the state’s nursing shortage. In 2022, the state Legislature appropriated millions of dollars to career tech and higher education to expand capacity within existing nursing programs across the state. In total, $64 million has been earmarked for addressing the nursing shortage, which will create more than 2,500 additional healthcare workers within the next five years.
Projects passed by the state Legislature and signed by the governor include:
- $250,000 to the Health Care Workforce Training Commission (formerly PMTC) to help the agency with oversight of projects.
- $9.7 million to career tech for increasing the capacity of nursing students.
- $50.3 million to colleges and universities across the state for increasing the capacity of nursing students.
- $4.5 million to Care Providers Oklahoma to provide CAN and CMA training.