Medicare funding for nursing education: proposal for a coherent policy agenda.

Medicare Graduate Medical Education (GME) funding for nursing education, established in 1965, no longer represents a coherent policy agenda, which must support educating the nursing workforce from classroom to practice. Three key concepts must be addressed: nursing education costs for both service and educational institutions, defining nursing education in federal rules and regulations, and the community's role in supporting nursing education. Responsibility for educating a nursing workforce must be shared by the community of academic, health care, professional, and government institutions and organizations, a policy supported by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Knowledge about costs, funding streams, and policies for nursing education is essential for nursing educators to advocate for funding of nursing education and practice. Nursing programs and academic institutions need to initiate discussions with policy makers and potential community partners about service/education partnerships. Finally, community investment in nursing education pays dividends by providing essential health services of a highly skilled professional workforce.