SCHUMER ANNOUNCES OVER $73,000 COMING TO HARTWICK COLLEGE TO HELP DEVELOP NURSING PROGRAM

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) will provide Hartwick College with a $73,407 grant for the Strengthening the Rural Nursing Workforce project.  The funding will go towards the development of a flexible nursing training program for adults who are changing careers. 

"Right now there is a disturbing nursing shortage across the state that threatens the health of our families," said Schumer. "This grant not only creates a project to put nurses in the field but also stimulates economic growth.  Hartwick College is making a wise investment here and I will do everything I can to get more funding for these kinds of programs that increase the number of nurses in New York."    

The vacancy rate statewide for registered nurses (determined by the number of positions budgeted for, but not filled) is 8.6 percent.  In 10 years, 105,739 additional nurses will be needed.

With this grant, Hartwick College will develop a flexible nursing training program for adults who are changing careers. The program will initially recruit ten students per year who will then complete a bachelor's of nursing degree in just 18 months.  The funding is this project will support the hiring of additional faculty, acquisition of equipment, and initial implementation.  Once underway, the project expects to gain 25 students per year and become selfsufficient. 

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