RALEIGH — The University of North Carolina System has awarded nearly $29 million to expand nursing education at 12 public universities and North Carolina’s Area Health Education Centers. The grants are part of a groundbreaking effort to address the nursing workforce shortage in North Carolina.
Like many states across the country, North Carolina is coping with an alarming drop in nursing professionals. The state is projected to have a shortage of up to 18,600 registered nurses over the next decade, a major challenge for health care providers and an aging patient population, according to an analysis by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Sheps Center for Health Services Research. Nursing students face rigorous education and licensure requirements, which makes it challenging to quickly expand the nursing workforce. And the Great Resignation, which saw tens of millions of Americans voluntarily quit their jobs in the aftermath of the pandemic, has sharply impacted health care professions and added to the decline of working nurses.
The recently distributed grants, which were funded by the North Carolina General Assembly as part of last year’s state budget, are designed to help public universities produce more nursing graduates. They will fund everything from new faculty positions to state-of-the-art equipment, allowing nursing schools to expand class sizes and create more effective, high-quality training. New funding will also support initiatives for undergraduates who want to enroll in nursing programs but need help to meet coursework and admissions requirements.
“Dedicated nurses are the backbone of a strong health care system, and we see huge demand for nursing talent across North Carolina,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “Our public universities not only train the next generation of nurses, but also provide excellent professional development and life-saving research for health care providers. I’m grateful to our lawmakers for helping us meet those needs more effectively.”
UNC System institutions, along with the state’s community colleges, are some of the largest producers of new nurses in North Carolina. Over the past decade, the UNC System has graduated a total of 27,191 nurses with a bachelor’s degree and 5,709 with a master’s degree.
The System’s goal is to increase its output of nursing degrees by 50% over the next 10 years.
“Healthcare in North Carolina will continue to place extraordinary demands on critical allied health professions, particularly on nurses who serve a vital part of the healthcare teams across the state,” said Rep. Donny Lambeth, (R-Forsyth). “The grants provided will go a long way towards helping to attract and educate more students into this demanding profession. The General Assembly is proud of its work to help strengthen educational opportunities in North Carolina for young people who are interested in pursuing a career in nursing.”
“Tackling the nursing shortage in North Carolina has been one of my top priorities and I am glad to see the UNC System expand nursing education across the state,” said Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell). “The university system has a tremendous opportunity to help close this gap in our workforce and produce highly talented nursing graduates.”
Institutions receiving grants
Appalachian State UniversityEast Carolina UniversityFayetteville State UniversityNorth Carolina Agricultural and Technical State UniversityNorth Carolina Central UniversityUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at CharlotteUniversity of North Carolina at GreensboroUniversity of North Carolina at PembrokeUniversity of North Carolina WilmingtonWestern Carolina UniversityWinston-Salem State UniversityNorth Carolina Area Health Education Center
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