BY PAUL MITCHELL
North Country This Week

CANTON -- SUNY Canton will be applying for what could be up to $250,000 for the college’s nursing program.

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras recently announced a $3 million SUNY Nursing Emergency Training Fund to help alleviate projected nursing shortage and at-capacity nursing programs statewide.

“Chancellor Malatras has identified a critical issue in our communities. Nursing shortages are impacting our state as well as local healthcare organizations. The new SUNY Nursing Emergency Training Fund is designed to help colleges with Nursing programs, including SUNY Canton, address that shortage,” stated SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. “We will be applying for this grant to strengthen and expand our nursing programs.”

SUNY Canton offers three different degree programs in nursing: a certificate in practical nursing; a two-year associate degree in nursing that leads to becoming a registered nurse; and a bachelor of science nursing program that allows registered nurses to work while continuing their professional development entirely online.

The college also offers a nursing dual degree program that leads to earning both an associate and a bachelor's degree in nursing and becoming a registered nurse, Szafran noted.

“SUNY Canton is also working on partnerships with other colleges downstate to expand access to its bachelors degree in nursing program, and to provide more advanced training and learning opportunities for our students. These grant funds will help us to hire additional faculty in this high-demand area through offering a more competitive compensation package, and to expand clinical opportunities” he said.

All SUNY campuses with nursing programs are eligible for up to $250,000 in grants.

The fund is made possible under the direction of the chancellor through the review and assignment of a high needs appropriation related to nursing within the annual state budget.

In St. Lawrence County, limited clinical training sites and low comparable pay for nursing professors has made it difficult to educate and meet the demand for nurses.

Also, it has been reported that strict state guidelines are hindering colleges from hiring more nurse instructors. Combine this with an aging pool of college nursing instructors destined to retire, and it shortens the window in which certified educators can pass knowledge they’ve gained over their years to the younger generation of instructors.

According to the American Journal of Medical Quality, there will be a shortage of more than 39,000 registered nurses in the state by 2030. This comes at a time when U.S. nursing programs are turning away applicants—80,000 qualified applicants in 2019 alone—in large part due to a shortage of spots for available clinical placements and faculty instructors.

“The warning signs are flashing that we need to train more nurses now, and the need only grows in the future. We must do everything we can to get more people trained as nurses in order to stem the tide to make sure we have access to quality healthcare when we need it—because nurses are the heartbeat of healthcare,” said Chancellor Malatras. “Our new SUNY Nursing Emergency Training Fund will create more capacity to graduate more critically-needed nurses by hiring additional nurse educators, expanding clinical positions and training space, and buying state-of-the-art training technology. As part of our student-centric SUNY for All program, we are making it easier for prospective students to find the right nursing program with a new one-stop shop website. As the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the nation, SUNY will do all it can to meet this critical workforce demand.”

Across the nation, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that 11 million additional nurses are needed to avoid further shortages in the healthcare industry, and employment opportunities for nurses are projected to grow at a rate of 15 percent—faster than all other occupations through 2026.

New nursing school site

In October, Rochester Regional Health announced the extension of the Isabella Graham Hart School (IGH) of Practical Nursing to three regions in New York State.

The additional sites with St. Lawrence Health in St. Lawrence County, Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic in Ontario County, and United Memorial Medical Center in Genesee County will create a pipeline for future nurses amid a nationwide shortage and increase diversity in the healthcare industry.

These locations will increase student enrollment to 60 more students per year within the school which is based in Irondequoit at the College of Health Careers. The sites are expected to open in January 2022, and the Potsdam location will be Old Snell Hall, 41 Elm St.

The Isabella Graham Hart School of Practical Nursing extension sites will:

Provide nursing career advancement

Community members and employees looking for opportunities to advance their careers in healthcare have a pathway to success with Certified Nurse Aide (CAN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and Registered Nurse (RN) Associate programs.

Prepare and promote the next generation of nurses

The average age of the nursing workforce is 58 with significant retirements upcoming.

RRH-combined programs create a talent pipeline to help fill future workforce needs in the community.

Have a positive impact on the local economy

Graduates of the program can enter the workforce immediately, obtaining high-paying jobs with positive economic impact.

Providing economic mobility and support

Ensure our patients receive high quality, compassionate care today and into the future

The 10-month IGH program, accredited by Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), grants LPN Certificates entitling graduates to take their NCLEX Practical Nurse licensure exam. For LPNs who wish to advance their careers as RNs, the RRH College of Health offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) program fully accredited by the New York State Department of Education.

For more information and to apply to the program, visit https://www.stlawrencehealthsystem.org/school-practical-nursing.