Nursing Policy Navigator: The Healthcare Leader’s Guide
Nursing Policy Navigator 2025: A Healthcare Leader’s Guide to Legislative Action
As election season accelerates in 2025, healthcare leaders have a unique opportunity—and responsibility—to shape the policies that impact the nursing workforce nationwide. The Nursing Policy Navigator for Leaders, developed by Goodwork, offers an executive-level briefing on the most urgent legislative issues affecting nurses today, alongside actionable steps to support change.
This year’s Navigator focuses on three pillars vital to recruitment, retention, and safe working conditions:
🧠 Nurse Mental Health & Wellbeing
A 2025 survey from Goodwork’s U.S. Nursing Report reveals that 57% of nurses have considered leaving their current role due to mental health strain. Federal bills aimed at funding peer support programs, expanding access to behavioral health services, and reducing stigma are currently gaining traction. The Navigator outlines:
- Pending legislation to extend the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act
- Grant programs for on-site crisis counseling and trauma-informed care training
- Links to Goodwork’s free Nurse Wellness Toolkit
🎓 Education and Workforce Development
More than 700,000 RNs are projected to exit the workforce by 2030, and less than half of U.S. nursing schools currently have the faculty to train their replacements. The 2025 Navigator highlights:
- Federal and state-level funding initiatives for nurse faculty training
- Bipartisan proposals to expand clinical preceptorship programs
- Financial support for underrepresented nursing students via the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act
🛡️ Workplace Safety & Violence Prevention
The 2025 State of Nursing Safety Report shows that 51% of nurses experienced workplace violence in the past year, most often from patients or visitors. The Navigator covers:
- Legislative campaigns to pass the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act
- OSHA enforcement updates
- Best practices for executive leaders to implement local reporting systems and trauma recovery protocols
Why This Matters Now
Nurses are not just the backbone of healthcare, they’re also key constituents in workforce policy. Healthcare executives who understand and act on policy trends can reduce turnover, improve satisfaction, and secure long-term organizational stability.
By downloading the Nursing Policy Navigator, leaders gain:
- A high-level overview of evolving legislative trends
- Direct links to advocacy resources
- Practical strategies for influencing public policy, board-level decisions, and voter engagement
About Goodwork
Goodwork is the fastest-growing career marketplace for permanent healthcare roles. Founded in 2017 and supported by top healthcare investors and systems, Goodwork is on a mission to help clinicians thrive by building more transparent, rewarding, and human-centered careers.
Explore how we’re supporting nurses, recruiters, and executives as we build the future of work in healthcare—together.