The National Nurses United union is calling on the Trump administration to provide more than $1 billion in additional federal funding to address a shortage of nurses.
The union announced Thursday that it’s petitioning the White House to commit to providing $1.6 billion in aid to the states to assist with staffing shortages.
Nurses, who are critical to the nation’s health care system, are also working to raise wages and improve patient care in a bid to maintain patient safety.
The union said in a statement that the federal aid should go toward “training, mentoring, and other support to all states to address staffing shortages, which have affected nurses across the country in recent years.”
The White House has not yet responded to the union’s call.