Attention VA Board of Nursing 

Claire Morris RN LVHA Executive Director 

Cynthia M Swineford MSCN RN CNE President 

I must question the rationale of the VA Board of Nursing at a time such as this, to propose such an elaborate rate increase for medical professionals of over 50%.  The ongoing work conditions for nursing has failed to improve since the governments "resolution" of covid. Consistently, nursing professionals of all levels are faced daily with less support to care for the aging population and those that suffer traumatic injuries resulting in rapidly declining quality of life.  In addition to these demands, health professionals face rising health insurance costs that often, raises in the salary barely cover. Cost of living raises are unheard of in the front-line health care professionals.  This increase in license fees will only continue to decrease those willing to serve the sick, injured and dying as they will see this as yet another burden to often a very heavy role, they serve to aid humanity.  

Additionally, I challenge all nurses especially those at bedside and even more so those serving in rural communities to comment on the percentage of raises they have received over the past few years, and I can probably guarantee no raise has been as high as the projected increase in fees.