The proposed fee increases is astronomical. If there was a 5 or 10% fee increase that would be more feasible; but nothing like the proposal is asking for. There have been or will be department salary increases of around 28% from FY2020 to 2025. The proposed fee increases are to the tune of 60-100% for most all of my fellow healthcare professionals. I've been in the healthcare profession for over 15 years and do not know a single person who is expecting a salary increase this much in the next 2 or 5 years for that matter. 

Is 60-100% higher maintenance/ entry fees going to make our profession more appealing in the state of Virginia? Simple answer is absolutely not! There are people who cannot afford to live daily on their current salaries; adding to the cost to maintain licensure that is a job requirement is going to deter them away from healthcare and into positions outside of healthcare that are more financially appealing. It's basic if I have the unique skills, benefits or opportunities to be in healthcare but it creates a financial burden I will use those skills elsewhere in another profession or possibly in another state that creates a lower financial burden for me and my family. 

There is and always will be a deficit in healthcare workers especially in the rural/remote areas of VA but charging an extravagant amount to obtain and renew licenses that are required for the invaluable work we do is going to hit our beloved profession hard.  Without Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, Certified Nursing Aides and Registered Medication Aides our already broken healthcare system will surely crumble.