Commissioners, college to cut ribbon on new nursing skills lab to ease nurse shortage
Hamilton County Commissioners funded lab as part of a $1.5m grant that also includes scholarships for underrepresented nursing students
Hamilton County, OH – County Commissioners and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College officials will cut the ribbon today on a new state-of-the-art nursing skills lab that will help ease the shortage of nurses in Greater Cincinnati.
The new 2,000-square-foot skills lab is part of $1.5 million grant by County Commissioners to expand the nursing pathway program at Cincinnati State. The grant will create more than 100 additional openings annually for students to become nurse aids (STNAs), practical nurses (LPNs), and registered nurses (RNs and BSNs).
Officials will also introduce several nursing students who have been awarded scholarships funded by the grant. Between this year and next, more than 50 underrepresented students from Hamilton County are expected to receive the scholarships to become LPNs and RNs at Cincinnati State. Underrepresented students include those who are Pell-eligible (low-income), of color, first-generation college students, and others with disproportionately low representation in higher education.
The nursing shortage remains a major challenge in Greater Cincinnati. The vacancy rate for full-time registered nurses at our regional hospitals stands at 11.1%, or about 970 nurses, according to the most recent data from the Health Collaborative. The vacancy rate for LPNs is 8.9% and for STNAs 13.7%.
Commission President Alicia Reece praised the effort. "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. This grant is providing critically needed lab space and scholarships to underrepresented students and creating a more diverse and inclusive nursing workforce."
"The new nursing skills lab at Cincinnati State will provide students with the hands-on experience they need to succeed in this demanding field. It’s vital that we are investing in the future of healthcare in Hamilton County,” Commissioner Denise Driehaus said. “Helping students access alternative routes to nursing like the complete pathway offered at Cincinnati State is how we build for the future.”
Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas added, "By supporting Cincinnati State's nursing programs, we are not only addressing the nursing shortage but also creating opportunities for talented and dedicated students from all backgrounds. This state-of-the-art lab will help all students to enhance and expand their knowledge which produces a quality education that prepares them for a long impactful career in nursing.”
Cincinnati State is the only college in the region to offer a complete nursing education pathway in one location, from STNA to LPN to RN, including a new RN-to-BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing option. It is also among the region’s most affordable options for nursing education. Nursing graduates from Cincinnati State consistently achieve among the highest nursing licensure test passing rates of any college or university in the region, and work in every hospital and many other health care settings throughout Greater Cincinnati.
“We are so appreciative of the vision and leadership the Commissioners have shown in making this new skills lab possible,” said Dr. Monica Posey, President of Cincinnati State. “One reason our nursing graduates are so valued by employers is the hands-on training they receive at the college. This new lab makes that opportunity possible for more students who as graduates will fill a crucial need in our community.”
The Health Collaborative, Closing the Healthcare Gap, and the Black Nurses Association of Greater Cincinnati are also partners in the nursing pathway expansion grant project.
This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number 21.027 awarded to Hamilton County, Ohio by the U.S. Department of Treasury.
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