The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Friday that it has launched a joint effort with every state to recruit and retain nurses to work in nursing homes, offering loan forgiveness options and a stipend to entice them.

The Nurses for Nursing Homes initiative is expected to support more than 4,000 nurses nationwide, and offers nursing students and licensed nurses up to $40,000 in student loan repayment and/or a $10,000 stipend in exchange for a three-year commitment to serve in a qualified nursing home in a rural area or an area with a high labor shortage.

The $275 million initiative, which is funded jointly by the federal government and individual states, is designed to strengthen the nursing workforce by recruiting and retaining eligible nurses to work in long-term care.

"President Trump is strengthening the nursing workforce that millions of older Americans rely on every day," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in a statement. "This initiative will recruit and retain thousands of nurses, expand care in rural and high-need communities, and create new pathways into long-term care careers. 

"We are putting resources directly behind the nurses who care for our seniors and strengthening the quality, stability, and dignity of nursing home care across America," he added.

Nurses through the program are required to work at least 30 hours a week at the qualified nursing home, already have a registered nursing license or a licensed vocational nurse at the start of employment, and must not have worked at a nursing home for at least 60 days before applying.

In order to receive the student loan forgiveness, nurses must have qualified debt or have graduated within the past two years to qualify for a stipend.

"When we offer student loan repayment through Nurses for Nursing Homes, we're not just giving nurses and nursing students future financial relief; we're supporting families who want their loved ones to receive quality care in nursing homes," CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said. 

"Without taking a dime from taxpayers, CMS is empowering the next generation of nurses to pursue their dreams and helping residents form deep bonds with caregivers so they can live happier, healthier lives," he added.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.