Gov. Justice announces nursing expansion initiative results in record number of nursing graduates in West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice announced on Friday that his successful Nursing Workforce Expansion Program , established two years ago to address West Virginia’s nursing shortage, has helped the state’s colleges and universities produce an all-time high number of nursing graduates.

From 2022 to 2023, officials say there was a nearly 15% increase in the number of registered nursing students graduating with associate degrees – from 590 to 676 graduates in one year alone – which represents a record number of nursing graduates in West Virginia.

In comparison, the total number of nursing graduates among all degree levels in 2023 was approximately 15% higher than a decade ago.

“I am incredibly proud of the results we’ve achieved with the Nursing Workforce Expansion Program,” Gov. Justice said. “By investing in our future nurses, we’ve set new records for nursing graduates in West Virginia. Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, and this initiative ensures we’re not just filling jobs, but equipping these healthcare heroes with the best training and support possible. This is a historic step forward for our state, and it’s only the beginning of what we can accomplish to strengthen our healthcare workforce.”

Gov. Justice initially provided $20 million in 2022 and added $26 million last year to support expanded and newly created registered nursing and licensed professional nursing programs at community colleges, four-year higher education institutions, career centers, and other schools of nursing.

“We are tremendously grateful to Gov. Justice for providing this historic funding to support the expansion of nursing education programs across West Virginia,” Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, West Virginia’s Chancellor of Higher Education said. “Through these thoughtful investments by the Governor and Legislature, our higher education community is more strongly positioned to shore up West Virginia’s devoted nursing workforce, and we are already seeing the results.”

Officials say in the first two years of the expansion program, funded projects – which are awarded and administered by West Virginia’s Higher Education Policy Commission and Community and Technical College System – aimed to increase enrollment in pre-licensure nursing programs through innovative approaches focused on timely degree completion and licensure for graduates.

According to officials, if funded for a third year, the program will focus on further expanding cohorts of nursing students, supporting scholarships, and creating additional grant opportunities.

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