Nursing schools across Connecticut are trying to address the growing demand for nurses in the state.
Karen Daly, dean of the Susan L. Davis and Richard J. Henley College of Nursing at Sacred Heart University, said they have not only stepped up their efforts to admit more qualified nursing students — they also offer a second degree accelerated program for any college graduate who may want to pursue a career in the field.
“It’s for those folks that were out there during the pandemic and thought maybe they might want to be a nurse, but had already gone to college,” Daly said. “So that’s another way to bring people in an alternate pathway into nursing. It could be a chance of a lifetime for someone who’s been doing something else.”
The Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce reported over 13,000 applicants qualified to enroll in RN programs in the state last year.
But there were only about 3,000 slots available, and for those accepted, nearly 2,800 enrolled.
*Sacred Heart University is the licensee of WSHU Public Radio.
