Worcester Business Journal

14 Worcester Business Journal | September 19, 2022 | wbjournal.com F O C U S E D U C A T I O N & C A R E E R G U I D E BY ALAN R. EARLS Special to WBJ T he nursing shortage is a Central Massachusetts and national problem rooted in demographics: e millions of Baby Boomers who entered the field are now approaching or at retirement age. Other factors, especially the burnout accompanying the COVID-19 crisis, have accelerated the trend. At the same time, a growing and aging population is demanding more nursing services than ever before. Indeed, according to international management consulting firm McKinsey & Co., by 2025 the U.S. will likely experience a shortage of 200,000- 450,000 nurses. Similarly, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections for 2019-2029 rank registered nurses among the most in- demand professions through 2029. To help make up some of this shortage, Central Massachusetts colleges and universities are expanding their nursing programs to meet the growing need. Quinsigamond Community College Central Massachusetts colleges and universities are expanding their nursing programs to meet the expected demand for skilled healthcare professionals over the next decade Graduating more nurses in Worcester and Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner each received grants to improve the facilities for their nursing programs. Assumption University in Worcester launched a specialized graduate nursing program. Worcester State University has expanded through absorption of the nursing students who had been attending Becker College until it closed down. Assumption's accelerated program "We in Massachusetts are experiencing a nursing shortage that was made much, much worse by COVID," said Caitlin Stover, dean of the Froelich School of Nursing at Assumption University. e drain of patient care, the nurses working long hours, and the emotional drain of supporting patients who either were battling COVID and couldn't make it or did make it, all added up to a career- defining moment, Stover said. e pandemic le healthcare professionals with lingering post- traumatic stress disorder issues, so it's no surprise many have since chosen to leave the profession, she said. e Froelich school's arrival on the scene four years ago turns out to have been very timely for the region. However, said Stover, despite having a healthy program in place, there was an opportunity to do more. "It was important for us to think about what makes us unique and try to provide programming that isn't available at other institutions," she said. "at's where we came up with the accelerated nursing program." Assumption's nursing program offers a new post- bachelor's accelerated nursing track, delivered as a hybrid, 16-month program. Harnessing potential career- changers who already have a bachelor's degree provides an opportunity to provide high-quality registered nurses to the region more quickly, Stover said. e program launches in June. WSU graduating Becker's students Linda Larrivee, dean of the School of Science, Technology and Health at Worcester State University, said the talk of a nursing shortage has been ongoing throughout her tenure at the school. Since its launch in the 1970s, the nursing program has evolved different tracks for different kinds of students; for instance, a traditional four-year bachelor's program as well as a shorter program for students with an associate's degree and a registered nurse credential. "at is in response to many healthcare organizations that want their RN nurses to have a bachelor's degree," Larrivee said. e program graduated a steady average of about 40 students each year, a number that even COVID didn't alter. What did change, she said, was the number of associate degree holders coming in the door because they were working so hard during the pandemic they couldn't consider adding school to their schedule, she said. In the spring of 2021, coincident with the later stages of COVID, the biggest program change at Worcester State came: the closure of Becker College in Worcester, which was operating an established nursing program. "We took them on, and we are still working to graduate them," she said. at undertaking required an immense amount of tailoring to meet students where they were in their education, but the end result will be adding dozens more graduates to the nursing supply of the region, she said. Caitlin Stover, dean of nursing at Assumption University National demand for nurses The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 194,000 skilled nursing positions will open annually through 2030. Occupation % change in employment, projected 2020-2030 Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners ............................................... 12% Registered nurses ................................................................................................. 9% Average of all occupations ................................................................................... 8% Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Linda Larrivee, WSU dean of the School of Science, Technology and Health Nursing students at Assumption University practice on a medical robot. PHOTO | COURTESY OF ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY

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