MiraCosta College was awarded a $1.2 million grant to help ease the nursing shortage in San Diego and California.
The San Diego region, like much of the state and the country, is facing a shortage of registered nurses. According to MiraCosta College’s Office of Research, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, from 2022-2023, there were close to 2,000 nursing job openings, but only about 1,000 nursing program local graduates available.
“MiraCosta College is committed to training highly skilled, compassionate nurses who reflect and serve our diverse communities,” said Dr. Yvette Duncan in a press release.
The Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure grant program, funded by Proposition 98 which provides funding for K-12 schools and community colleges, focuses on addressing the ongoing nursing shortage. The shortage is expected to balloon to 44,500 registered nurses by 2030. The program is working to expand programs and educate future nurses through the community college system.
Of the 1,037 graduates, 299 came from San Diego County community colleges’ registered nursing programs. Some of MiraCosta’s key focal points in the grant were to increase enrollment by 18 students annually and develop an apprenticeship program for licensed vocational nurses to finish their training at a future place of employment.
A licensed vocational nurse can work as a nurse, but only under the supervision of a physician or registered nurse.
“This grant enables us to scale up our programs and remove barriers to both education and employment in the healthcare sector,” Duncan said.
The nurse shortage stretches beyond San Diego Countyu and throughout the state. According to a “Labor Market Data for Registered Nurses” report from MiraCosta, California had 25,136 job openings for nurses and 13,989 entered the workforce — only 55% of the actual job demand for nurses.
The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development reported that there are 58 Registered Nurse Shortage Areas. The El Centro and Calexico area fell under a high shortage designation, Indio a medium shortage, and Oceanside and Escondido fell under the low shortage category, according to the 2020 report.
The health care industry represents 7% of California’s total employment, according to the California Employment Development Department. Increasing demand for health care jobs, specifically nursing, is largely due to an aging population that will need care, as well as those aging out of the workforce and into retirement.
The MiraCosta grant won’t just focus on personnel, but also on technology and education. The college plans to invest in simulation labs, hospital beds, medication dispensing machines and birthing simulators — all pieces of equipment in use by the workforce.
“This funding directly translates into a better learning experience,” Duncan said. “Our students will train on the same state-of-the-art simulation equipment they will use in a hospital, making them more confident and clinically competent on day one of their careers.”
