To tackle the pressing shortage of nurses in Greater Cincinnati, Hamilton County Commissioners and officials from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College are unveiling a new nursing skills lab, a highlight of a broader $1.5 million grant aimed at expanding the nursing education pathway, as reported by Hamilton County's official news. The lab spans 2,000 square feet and promises to bolster Cincinnati State's capacity to school more than 100 additional nurse aids, practical nurses, and registered nurses annually.
The grand opening of the skills lab pairs with an announcement of several scholarships awarded to students, thrusting more than 50 underrepresented individuals from the county into a future of healthcare; these students are categorized as such due to being Pell-eligible, people of color, first-generation college students, among other disproportionately represented groups in higher education. "This investment in nursing education at Cincinnati State is a critical step towards addressing the shortage of nurses in our community and ensuring that everyone has access to quality care," Commission President Alicia Reece imparted, as per Hamilton County's official news, highlighting the grant's attention to both necessary lab space and the value of diversifying the nursing workforce.
The necessity for such programs is underscored by stark statistics from the Health Collaborative revealing a vacancy rate of 11.1% for full-time registered nurses, about 970 positions, in addition to the 8.9% and 13.7% vacancies for LPNs and STNAs, respectively, the investment in the new lab and educational paths at Cincinnati State aims not just to alleviate this gap but foster career opportunities for a spectrum of students regardless of their backgrounds.
Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas echoed this sentiment, noting the lab's role in preparing students for impactful, long-term nursing careers. The project, which also involves partners such as The Health Collaborative, Closing the Healthcare Gap, and the Black Nurses Association of Greater Cincinnati, receives partial funding from the U.S. Department of Treasury under federal award number 21.027.
