NY must continue to invest in nursing education — we must address shortages | Opinion

Maureen Kroning
·4 min read

The demand for qualified nursing personnel has rarely, if ever, been as high as it is today. Report after report shows clear evidence that hospitals and health care facilities are facing critical staffing shortages that jeopardize the health and well-being of our communities.

Colleges and nursing schools can be a powerful part of the solution to this crisis by being supported to provide increased on-campus clinical opportunities. We need to change the standards to permit one-third of clinical training to be obtained through simulation training— innovative, state-of-the-art simulation experiences that mimic real-life patient care scenarios in a safe learning environment. Doing so will enable colleges across the nation to enroll a greater number of nursing students, which is an essential step in the plan to stop the shortage.

How did we get to this point? The COVID-19 pandemic created the perfect storm for staffing, placing extreme stress on an already fragile health care system. This has resulted in large numbers of nurses and other health care workers retiring or simply leaving the profession.

These statistics help illustrate the magnitude of the problem:

  • From 2019 to 2020, job vacancies for nursing personnel increased up to 30%, and the trend is expected to persist, with an estimated shortage of up to 3.2 million health care workers by 2026, according to the American Hospital Association.

  • New York State faces an estimated shortage of more than 39,000 registered nurses by 2030, according toThe American Journal of Medical Quality.

  • 20-30% of front-line health care workers are considering leaving their jobs as a result of post-traumatic stress from the COVID pandemic combined with years of being undervalued, according to CNBC reports.

As the number-two nursing program in New York, as ranked by Nursing.org, Rockland Community College is in a unique position to help address this health care staffing crisis. We are working closely with our valued local health care facilities to develop strategies that will help close the gap in nursing shortages. RCC has made a strategic commitment to increase the number of nursing students that graduate from our nursing program and drastically expand the number of other health care degree tracks offered at the college.

We have already made positive strides: Our nursing school currently graduates 90-100 nursing students each year, with an NCLEX pass rate of 96.4%. We offer Associate’s degrees in Nursing, Health Care Science, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Public Health and Human Performance Studies. We have also partnered with the online career-training firm CareerStep to train students in rewarding health care careers such as Caregiver, Certified Health Care Documentation Specialist, Dental Assistant, EKG Technician, Fitness & Wellness Coach, Health & Lifestyle Coach, Hemodialysis Technician, Home Health Aide, Medical Administrative Assistant, Medical Assistant, Medical Coding & Billing for Outpatient Services, Medical Scribe, Patient Care Technician, Pharmacy Technician & Phlebotomy Technician.

By enacting strategic academic programs and working with the government and our health care and community partners, we can provide students with the education and training they need to become valued members of the health care workforce. The future health of our communities depends on it.
By enacting strategic academic programs and working with the government and our health care and community partners, we can provide students with the education and training they need to become valued members of the health care workforce. The future health of our communities depends on it.

Thanks to the passing of the Omnibus Spending Bill in January 2023, we will also be receiving $3 million for the construction and expansion of RCC’s Nursing Simulation Laboratory. The grant is instrumental in providing students with simulation training that can help provide on-campus opportunities for clinical experience.

With the increased use of simulation training, we can broaden our reach and boost the number of “workforce-ready” nursing students who can help to mitigate the current shortage.

RCC is excited to learn of the passing of Senate Bill S6717A which was introduced on May 13, 2021. This bill will permit one-third of clinical training to be obtained through simulation experience. The bill will be instrumental in helping nursing schools across the country increase nursing enrollees and graduates. The Nursing Program at RCC is actively working to double the number of nursing graduates within the next five years, as a proactive response to address the critical nursing shortage. RCC looks forward to future funding opportunities that will help us deliver high-quality health care programs that can make a huge difference in overcoming our current health care staffing challenges.

By enacting strategic academic programs and working with the government and our health care and community partners, we can provide students with the education and training they need to become valued members of the health care workforce. The future health of our communities depends on it.

Dr. Maureen Kroning, EdD RN, is dean of the School of Nursing, Health and Wellness at Rockland Community College.   

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY nursing shortage needs investment, educatoin