Ohio's higher education department OKs bachelor's in nursing degree at Cincinnati State

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College will begin offering a bachelor of science in nursing degree in the fall of 2023, in response to the significant local nursing shortage affecting Cincinnati-area hospitals, physicians' offices, nursing homes, home health care services, assisted living facilities and K-12 schools.

Cincinnati State, an open-access college with locations in Clifton, Harrison, Evendale and Middletown, has offered mostly two-year associate degrees and certificates since 1969. But in 2018, the Ohio Department of Higher Education announced two-year institutions could propose to the state chancellor for applied bachelor's degree programs in fields with strong workforce needs.

The need for nurses is great in Cincinnati, Hope Arthur of the Health Collaborative told The Enquirer. From December 2020 to December 2021, the area's nurse vacancy rates increased by 81%. There is now a nearly 14% vacancy rate in the Cincinnati region and most open roles require bachelor's degrees.

The shortage was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Arthur said, but had been growing since 2016. The last time that nurse vacancy rates were this high was in 2003-2004.

Arthur said she hopes the new program at Cincinnati State will not only bring in those seeking bachelor's degrees but will expand nursing enrollment across all nursing programs.

"The market simply needs more," she told The Enquirer.

Why Cincinnati State? Low cost, high quality

The nursing completion degree is the third bachelor's degree program approved for Cincinnati State. The first students to receive bachelor's degrees from the college graduated in the spring of 2021 through the land surveying program. The college also offers a bachelor's degree in culinary and food science.

The college already had strong associate-level degree programs in all of those departments, Provost Robbin Hoopes said. The bachelor's degrees were added because the college's professional partners in those fields expressed concerns about staffing shortages and skill gaps.

"If employers are saying, 'we need this,' then that's part of our mission, to try to meet that need," Hoopes said.

The new bachelor's degree in nursing will make Cincinnati State the only college in the region to offer a complete nursing education pathway, from state-tested nurse aide to licensed practical nurse, to registered nurse, to bachelor of science in nursing.

Hoopes said Cincinnati State's program is appealing because of its low cost, high quality and high diversity rates.

Local hospital leaders have expressed concern that their nursing staff does not reflect the diversity of their patients. Without a nursing workforce that mirrors its community, Hoopes said, "health outcomes suffer, people suffer."

While most nursing programs in the area enroll white students at rates in the 80% to 90% range, at Cincinnati State, 24% of students currently enrolled in the registered nurse program are diverse. The college's staff is quite diverse, too, university President Monica Posey said.

Unlike other bachelor's in nursing programs that tend to be fully online, Cincinnati State's will offer plenty of in-person opportunities, Hoopes said, so students can form close, personal relationships with their professors.

The program will start with a minimum of 30 students in the fall of 2023, Hoopes said, though an initial survey of recent graduates and current nursing students indicates hundreds could be interested in signing up for the bachelor's degree.

"We certainly see the potential for rapid expansion," Hoopes said.

College focuses on building pathways, access to higher education

Since the bachelor's program in nursing focuses on leadership, management and community health as opposed to skills-based learning, Hoopes said the college does not anticipate financing expansion of its current nursing facilities or equipment. The college will be hiring nursing teachers, he said, where there is also a shortage.

But Hoopes said Cincinnati State is "very lucky" to not have to worry about the nationwide nursing teacher shortage because of the positive culture that the department has fostered throughout the years.

"Our faculty tend to stay with us," he said, adding that most of Cincinnati State's faculty have doctorate degrees and will likely be promoted to teach in the new bachelor's program.

Posey hopes the new bachelor's degree in nursing will allow for students to stay with the college, too. She anticipates many registered nurses who graduated from Cincinnati State to come back to further their education, back to professors they already know and an environment they're already comfortable with.

"We're not trying to compete for a pipeline of students," Hoopes said.

Posey said the college will continue assessing workforce gaps and may likely add more bachelor's degree programs, but maintains committed to providing stellar associate programs and building pathways to four-year universities in the region.

"Our core work is the associate degree. I don't see that shifting dramatically. But where there are particular needs, we want to analyze and potentially step forward to meet those needs," Posey said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati State to begin offering bachelor's in nursing in fall 2023