((a)) ** Education priority areas** The Secretary may award grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities for—

((1)) expanding the enrollment in baccalaureate nursing programs; or

((2)) providing education in new technologies, including distance learning methodologies.

((b)) ** Practice priority areas** The Secretary may award grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities for—

((1)) establishing or expanding nursing practice arrangements in noninstitutional settings to demonstrate methods to improve access to primary health care in medically underserved communities;

((2)) providing care for underserved populations and high risk groups, such as the elderly, individuals with HIV/AIDS, individuals with mental health or substance use disorders, individuals who are homeless, and survivors of domestic violence;

((3)) providing coordinated care, and other skills needed to practice in existing and emerging organized health care systems; or

((4)) developing cultural competencies among nurses.

((c)) ** Retention priority areas** The Secretary may award grants to and enter into contracts with eligible entities to enhance the nursing workforce by initiating and maintaining nurse retention programs pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2).

((1)) ** Grants for career ladder programs** The Secretary may award grants to and enter into contracts with eligible entities for programs—

((A)) to promote career advancement for—

((i)) nursing in a variety of training settings, cross training or specialty training among diverse population groups, and the advancement of individuals including to become professional registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and nurses with graduate nursing education; and

((ii)) individuals including licensed practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses, certified nurse assistants, home health aides, diploma degree or associate degree nurses, and other health professionals, such as health aides or community health practitioners certified under the Community Health Aide Program of the Indian Health Service, to become registered nurses with baccalaureate degrees or nurses with graduate nursing education;

((B)) to assist individuals in obtaining education and training required to enter the nursing profession and advance within such profession, such as by providing career counseling and mentoring; and

((C)) developing and implementing internships, accredited fellowships, and accredited residency programs in collaboration with one or more accredited schools of nursing, to encourage the mentoring and development of specialties.

((2)) ** Enhancing patient care delivery systems**

((A)) ** Grants** The Secretary may award grants to eligible entities to improve the retention of nurses and enhance patient care that is directly related to nursing activities by enhancing collaboration and communication among nurses and other health care professionals, and by promoting nurse involvement in the organizational and clinical decisionmaking processes of a health care facility.

((B)) ** Preference** In making awards of grants under this paragraph, the Secretary shall give a preference to applicants that have not previously received an award under this paragraph.

((C)) ** Continuation of an award** The Secretary shall make continuation of any award under this paragraph beyond the second year of such award contingent on the recipient of such award having demonstrated to the Secretary measurable and substantive improvement in nurse retention or patient care.

((d)) ** Other priority areas** The Secretary may award grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities to address other areas that are of high priority to nurse education, practice, and retention, as determined by the Secretary.

((e)) ** Report** As part of the report on nursing workforce programs described in , the Secretary shall include a report on the grants awarded and the contracts entered into under this section. Each such report shall identify the overall number of such grants and contracts and provide an explanation of why each such grant or contract will meet the priority need of the nursing workforce.section 296e(i) of this title

((f)) ** Eligible entity** For purposes of this section, the term “eligible entity” includes an accredited school of nursing, as defined in , a health care facility, including federally qualified health centers or nurse-managed health clinics, or a partnership of such a school and facility a health care facility, or a partnership of such a school and facility.section 296(2) of this title1