10 U.S.C. § 2016 — Undergraduate nurse training program: establishment through agreement with academic institution

(a) Establishment. (1) To increase the number of nurses in the armed forces^*, the Secretary of Defense may agree with one or more academic institutions to establish and operate an “undergraduate nurse training program.” Participants must earn a bachelor of science degree in nursing and serve as members of the armed forces. (2) The Secretary may allow members of other uniformed services^* to participate if the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services jointly decide that doing so will help increase the number of nurses in those services.

(b) Graduation rates. The program must be able to graduate 25 students with nursing bachelor’s degrees in its first class, 50 in its second class, and 100 each year after that.

(c) Elements. (1) The program must be an academic partnership with one or more academic institutions that have accredited nursing schools. (2) It must recruit qualified participants who have at least two years of appropriate academic preparation, as the Secretary of Defense determines.

(d) Location. (1) The academic institution must establish the program at or near a military installation with a military treatment facility designated as a medical center with inpatient capability and multiple graduate medical education programs at or reasonably near the installation. (2) Before approving a location, the Secretary must assess whether establishing the program there would adversely affect or displace existing nurse-training programs run by the Department of Defense or a civilian entity.

(e) Faculty limitation. An agreement under (a) may not require armed-forces nurses to serve as faculty members.

(f) Military service commitment. The Secretary must encourage armed-forces members to apply. Graduates must incur a military service obligation in a regular or reserve component, as the Secretary determines.