By GREGORY ZELLER //
Future nurses will become current nurses a little faster, thanks to new healthcare laws on New York’s books.
Against the backdrop of a critical nationwide nursing shortage, Gov. Kathy Hochul this week signed legislation allowing New York nursing students to simulate up to one-third of their clinical training – breaking a logjam that has slowed the progress of nursing trainees and left the healthcare industry increasingly shorthanded.
Until now, training to become a registered nurse in New York required the completion of clinical placements in hospital settings, which – despite a statewide nursing shortage projected to reach 40,000 positions by the end of this decade – are limited.
Enter Legislation A3076-A/S44-C, sponsored in the New York State Senate by State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-New York City) and in the State Assembly by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo (D-Binghamton).
Good sign: Clinical simulations will help qualify professional nurses faster, according to Hochul and friends.
The new law allows eager nursing students to substitute hands-on simulations (in actual clinical environments, using actual equipment) for about a third of their training requirements, speeding them toward their professional licenses – and the front lines of a healthcare system that sorely needs their help, according to the governor.
“I’m proud to sign legislation strengthening our healthcare workforce (by) expediting training and allowing more capable nurses into the workforce, improving care for all and creating a safer, healthier New York,” Hochul said Monday, surrounded by lawmakers and healthcare providers at a signing ceremony.
“Our nurses have been invaluable to our healthcare system, especially throughout the pandemic,” the governor added. “But too often, (they) feel overworked doing the jobs that they love, which has only been amplified by the current nursing shortage.”
The nursing shortfall is by no means limited to New York. According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, more than 100,000 registered nurses have left the profession since 2021 – stress, burnout and retirements, mostly – with another 610,00-plus planning to leave by 2027.
John King Jr.: Needs it.
In response, 31 states have already approved increased use of innovative, high-tech simulations for nurse-licensing purposes. And now the Empire State has joined the list – an especially notable development on Long Island, where educating future nurses is big business.
In addition to the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies and the Stony Brook University School of Nursing, Patchogue-based St. Joseph’s University, Farmingdale State College, the Old Westbury-based New York Institute of Technology, Rockville Centre-based Molloy College, Garden City-based Adelphi University, Brookville-based LIU Post, Nassau Community College and Suffolk County Community College all boast robust nursing programs.
In a statement, SUNY Chancellor John King Jr. commended state legislators “for supporting the training of New York’s next generation of nurses.”
“SUNY has more than 70 nursing programs across our system, but many of their students struggle to find a high-quality clinical placement near their college,” King added. “Without enough high-quality clinical placements, nursing programs across New York cannot expand to meet the growing demand to fill the state’s nursing needs.”
