The state budget approved by the Legislature on April 9 included new funding for nursing education programs. The spending plan includes $2 million for the SUNY system, $2 million for CUNY and $1 million in funding for nursing education at private institutions.
“This support will help combat the nursing shortage,” said Tina Gerardi, RN, chief executive officer of the New York State Nurses Association. “It is essential to recruit and retain more nurses to meet the current and future healthcare needs of New York residents.”
The funds will be available to schools that are seeking to increase their student capacity. The state’s Center for Health Workforce Studies has reported that as many as 3,000 qualified applicants are turned away from nursing schools each year.
The grant program complements the $4-million Senator Patricia K. McGee Nursing Faculty Scholarship Program, also included in the budget, which offers scholarships and loan forgiveness to registered nurses earning advanced degrees so than can join the ranks of much-needed nursing faculty.