California Lawmaker Pushes To Expand Nurse Education Programs
This week Sen. Jack Scott (D-Altadena) introduced a bill (SB 1288) that would allow campuses of California State University to begin offering doctorate nursing programs, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Scott says the new doctorate programs would help the state fill advanced nursing and teaching positions and help reduce a statewide nursing shortage.
Doctorate nursing programs previously were only allowed for the UC system, which will not oppose the bill, the Times reports.
Gary Reichard, a vice chancellor for the California State University system, said, "We all agreed that the nursing shortage was so severe" that the new program was necessary.
The bill does not provide state funding for the proposed doctoral programs, saying that Cal State could not begin the degree programs until it has raised adequate nonstate funds.
Reichard said the system will start looking for private grants to fund the program (Krupnick, Contra Costa Times, 2/21).