Spring Break
Nursing Program Expanded
Aly Shea
Issue date: 11/27/07 Section: News
In a step toward easing the nursing shortage in Connecticut, the state Board of Governors for Higher Education recently approved the expansion of UConn's full-time accelerated master's entry into nursing (MbEIN) program to two regional campuses in Waterbury and Stamford.
This is a critical effort, as Connecticut will face the second-highest shortage of registered nurses in the country by 2020, according to the Connecticut Hospital Association. Connecticut will be short 340,000 nurses.
"Anything we can do to add quality nurses into the work force, the better it is," said Carol Polifroni, associate dean of the School of Nursing. "Our main program began in Storrs in 2003, and we've never been able to meet the demand for seats within that curriculum."
The expansion is expected to bring 64 more nurses a year into the work force, though the program will have graduated some 150 students by this December.
"There's no other program in the country that can say that," Polifroni said, adding that the Department of Higher Education had lauded the program, calling it "a very good model."
The program has attracted attention from applicants as well. Though the Storrs program admits only 32 students annually, the MbEIN program program receives approximately five times that number of applications, according to the School of Nursing Web site.
According to a press release, the Waterbury and Stamford campuses were chosen for the expansion because of significant interest in the MbEIN program from the applicant pools in the western and southern portions of the state.
Ninth-semester nursing major Jessica Fraley thought the move would be good for people in other parts of the state, especially those who have families.
"It's hard for some people to travel to Storrs," she said. "Especially with the MbEIN program, it's not just [traditional] students."
The program will start in Waterbury in January 2008, while the Stamford program will not begin until 2009, according to Polifroni, who said that the School of Nursing is working on hiring several new faculty to teach the new students.
This is a critical effort, as Connecticut will face the second-highest shortage of registered nurses in the country by 2020, according to the Connecticut Hospital Association. Connecticut will be short 340,000 nurses.
"Anything we can do to add quality nurses into the work force, the better it is," said Carol Polifroni, associate dean of the School of Nursing. "Our main program began in Storrs in 2003, and we've never been able to meet the demand for seats within that curriculum."
The expansion is expected to bring 64 more nurses a year into the work force, though the program will have graduated some 150 students by this December.
"There's no other program in the country that can say that," Polifroni said, adding that the Department of Higher Education had lauded the program, calling it "a very good model."
The program has attracted attention from applicants as well. Though the Storrs program admits only 32 students annually, the MbEIN program program receives approximately five times that number of applications, according to the School of Nursing Web site.
According to a press release, the Waterbury and Stamford campuses were chosen for the expansion because of significant interest in the MbEIN program from the applicant pools in the western and southern portions of the state.
Ninth-semester nursing major Jessica Fraley thought the move would be good for people in other parts of the state, especially those who have families.
"It's hard for some people to travel to Storrs," she said. "Especially with the MbEIN program, it's not just [traditional] students."
The program will start in Waterbury in January 2008, while the Stamford program will not begin until 2009, according to Polifroni, who said that the School of Nursing is working on hiring several new faculty to teach the new students.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
clopha deshotel
posted 11/27/07 @ 8:28 AM EST
Many medical schools have been working with art galleries (this began with Yale) to train doctors. How long will it take for nurses to be included in that training? Wait until Japan or China does it - then five years later?
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