ARPA Nursing Recruitment and Retention Grants (NRRG)
Must a PP eligible position be full-time?
Yes. A PP eligible position must be designated by the employer as a full-time position and must be scheduled an average of at least 36 hours per week.
Can a PP eligible position be eligible based on on-call hours rather than actual hours worked?
No. A PP eligible position must be scheduled to actually report for work (or on approved leave for) an average of at least 36 hours per week.
Can a traveling nurse be eligible for premium pay?
A traveling nurse working in Nebraska may be eligible if, from at least September 1, 2023 to January 9, 2024, the nurse is continuously working as a full-time employee of an eligible healthcare employer in a PP Eligible Position.
Are Certified Medication Aids eligible to receive premium pay?
No. Premium pay is available only to an individual licensed as a CNA, LPN, or RN.
Is a paramedic working as a nurse extender eligible to receive premium pay?
Only if the individual is licensed as a CNA, LPN, or RN.
If an employee in a PP eligible position obtains a higher level of licensure prior to the PP certification date, how will the employee be paid? For example, if an employer reserves premium pay for an employee who is working as a CNA at the time of the grant application, but the employee becomes an LPN prior to the PP certification date, will the employee be treated as a CNA or LPN?
The employee is eligible to receive premium pay based on the employee’s status on the PP certification date. When completing the grant application, an employer should identify any employee who is enrolled in training and expected to obtain a higher license status by the PP certification date.
Does an employee who transfers positions during the retention period remain eligible for premium pay? For example, if an RN transfers from a PP eligible position in cardiology at a hospital to a position in orthopedics at the same hospital, is the RN still eligible for premium pay?
Yes, as long as the employee remains in a full-time position with the same employer and is providing patient care in Nebraska, the employee remains eligible for premium pay.
What is meant by the requirement that the individual receiving premium pay provide “in-person care”?
Premium pay is not available for individuals providing telehealth services or other remote care.
Are management nursing positions considered to provide “in-person care” as required for eligibility for premium pay?
Yes. A management nursing position that supervises or manages nurses who are providing direct patient care is considered to provide in-person care.
Can a position providing in-home healthcare be eligible for premium pay?
Yes. If all other requirements are met, a position that provides in-home patient care is eligible for premium pay.
What counts as a long-term care facility?
A long-term care facility is a facility licensed under Title 175 of the Nebraska Administrative Code to provide routine nursing care by licensed nurses to residents.
Is a PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program eligible to apply for premium pay for its employees?
Yes. A full-time position in a PACE program occupied by an RN, LPN, or CNA is eligible for premium pay if all other eligibility requirements are met.
Is an independent living facility or assisted living facility eligible to receive premium pay for its employees?
No. A facility that is not licensed to provide routine nursing care by licensed nurses is not eligible to receive premium pay.
Are government-owned intensive care facilities eligible healthcare settings?
Yes.
Will NDOL create a waitlist so funds that are initially obligated can be redistributed if requirements for final payments are not met?
Yes. NDOL will continue to accept applications once all funds allocated to this program have been initially reserved and will create a waiting list, up until the application deadline date. If additional funds become available, awards may be made to employers on this waiting list, starting with those eligible employers who filed their applications first.
If more than one physical worksite location shares the same tax identification number, do separate applications for “facilities” or “practice locations” need to be submitted?
Yes. Employers must submit separate applications for physical worksite locations (facilities or practice locations) regardless of shared tax identification numbers.