CBS 6 News WRGB Albany
ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB) — As nursing shortages and strikes persist, a new report from the U Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies raises concerns about whether the current output of registered nurses will meet future demand. The report, which examined the nursing education pipeline in New York State, highlights a decline in registered nurse graduation rates in recent years.
There were slight drops in the number of graduates in 2022, 2023, like maybe 300 give or take,” said Dr. Jean Moore of UAlbany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies. “And we’re like, oh my god, is this a trend? We really don’t know.
The report found that graduation rates decreased from 2021 to 2023, and 42% of study participants reported turning away qualified applicants in 2023. Dr. Moore attributed these issues to difficulties in recruiting faculty and a lack of clinical training sites. “The two things that they talk about a lot are difficulty recruiting faculty,” Moore said. “And also lack of clinical training sites.”