Retrospective Evaluation of the Advanced Nursing Education Expansion Program

Several interrelated workforce and population trends have intensified the need to increase the number of nurse practitioners (NPs) in primary care. The Advanced Nursing Education Expansion (ANEE) program was created to address health workforce needs by increasing the number of students enrolled full-time in NP and nurse-midwifery programs. Using data from ANEE grant performance measures, we found that nearly 65% of ANEE-supported graduates practice in primary care and 44.8% work in medically underserved communities. Results from this study demonstrate that even short-term federal investments have an impact on the expansion of the primary care health workforce.