My name is Theresa Gaffney, PhD, MPA, RN, CNE. I am a nursing professor and serve as the Commissioner for Nursing Education for the Virginia Nurses Association. I am writing today in strong support of House Bill (HB) 815.
Virginia currently lacks a consistent, comprehensive lens through which to understand and plan for its nursing workforce. As a result, the Commonwealth is perpetually in a reactive posture—constantly playing catch-up as workforce gaps deepen. Projections indicate that Virginia will face a shortage of more than 20,000 registered nurses in the coming years, compounded by serious maldistribution challenges, both geographically and across care settings.
At the same time, national data show that 30 to 50 percent of newly licensed nurses leave the profession within their first two years. This level of attrition threatens not only workforce stability, but the health and safety of Virginians who rely on timely access to quality care.
To meet the healthcare needs of every resident, Virginia must shift from a reactive approach to a proactive, data-driven strategy—one that aligns nursing education capacity with workforce demand. The Nursing Workforce Center established in HB 815 provides exactly that: a centralized hub to collect, analyze, and act on workforce data. This infrastructure is essential to building and sustaining a stable, well-prepared, and resilient nursing workforce.
For these reasons, I respectfully urge your support of House Bill 815.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
My name is Theresa Gaffney, PhD, MPA, RN, CNE. I am a nursing professor and serve as the Commissioner for Nursing Education for the Virginia Nurses Association. I am writing today in strong support of House Bill (HB) 815. Virginia currently lacks a consistent, comprehensive lens through which to understand and plan for its nursing workforce. As a result, the Commonwealth is perpetually in a reactive posture—constantly playing catch-up as workforce gaps deepen. Projections indicate that Virginia will face a shortage of more than 20,000 registered nurses in the coming years, compounded by serious maldistribution challenges, both geographically and across care settings. At the same time, national data show that 30 to 50 percent of newly licensed nurses leave the profession within their first two years. This level of attrition threatens not only workforce stability, but the health and safety of Virginians who rely on timely access to quality care. To meet the healthcare needs of every resident, Virginia must shift from a reactive approach to a proactive, data-driven strategy—one that aligns nursing education capacity with workforce demand. The Nursing Workforce Center established in HB 815 provides exactly that: a centralized hub to collect, analyze, and act on workforce data. This infrastructure is essential to building and sustaining a stable, well-prepared, and resilient nursing workforce. For these reasons, I respectfully urge your support of House Bill 815. Thank you for your time and consideration.