Erica Carbajal – Becker’s Clinical Leadership
A group of bipartisan lawmakers have introduced a bill that would create a $2,000 tax credit for nurses who take on preceptor roles to train nursing students.
The Precept Nurses Act aims to incentivize nurses to become preceptors. It was introduced Jan. 14 by six lawmakers, led by Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., who is also a geriatric nurse practitioner. The proposed law states a nurse is eligible for the tax credit “if they are certified to be a preceptor and work at least 200 hours in designated health professional shortage areas.”
The American Nurses Association and American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology applauded the effort.
“Mentors are the backbone of nurturing talent and shaping the workforce of tomorrow, and in nursing, preceptors fulfill this essential role,” Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, RN, president of the ANA, said in a news release. “The Precept Nurses Act is an important step in recognizing the invaluable contributions of nurse preceptors and ensuring they have the support needed to address critical workforce shortages, particularly in underserved areas.”
An insufficient supply of faculty, preceptors and clinical placement opportunities is considered a core driver of the nation’s nursing shortage. In recent years, U.S. nursing schools have turned away thousands of qualified applicants primarily due to a lack of clinical placement sites and faculty shortages, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Nurse preceptors also play a critical role in curbing turnover among first-year nurses, which averaged 24% nationally in 2024. However, many hospitals have historically struggled to incentivize nurses to become preceptors, as the role requires balancing the demands of patient care with teaching responsibilities.
“I have seen how staffing shortages negatively impact patients first hand and know how important it is for our nurses to have access to the proper training they deserve,” Ms. Kiggans said in a statement. “By creating more opportunities for both existing nurses and nursing students, we can provide better, more reliable care to America’s patients while preventing burnout in our healthcare workforce.”
