Nursing students at Hudson Valley Community College are taking part in hands-on clinical training, hoping that upon graduating, they can fill the gaps in the health care system caused, in part, by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the program itself has faced challenges too.
"Along with the nursing shortage, we also are in a nursing faculty shortage,” Dean of Health Sciences Dr. Patricia Klimkewicz explained.
On average, HVCC receives more than 1,000 applicants to its nursing program. But they’re only able to accept no more than 153 students per year.
What You Need To Know
- According to the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, U.S. nursing schools turned away nearly 92,000 qualified applications because of shortages in faculty, clinical sites, classroom space and clinical preceptors
- AACN reports that 66% of acute care nurses have considered leaving nursing after their experiences during the pandemic
- The American Nurses Foundation and the American Nurses Association say that 52% of nurses are considering leaving, primarily due to insufficient staffing, work negatively affecting health and well-being and inability to deliver quality care
"We've worked with our affiliates around the area to really help expand our clinicals, so that way we're able to increase our size here," Department Chair of Nursing Dr. Jodi Dorrough said.
After considering the needs of the community, the college’s nursing program has increased enrollment by 51%.
“We offer four different academic tracks to kind of really support the working folk, the traditional students, the evening students, our weekend program. So that way, we can really help benefit that, to get more students are here to really pitch our efforts in," Dorrough said.