New Paltz Looks to Revive Nursing Program

After phasing out the program in May 2011, SUNY New Paltz is applying to reopen its registered nurse to Bachelor’s of Science nursing degree program.

This decision is supporting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s goal of increasing the state’s healthcare workforce by 20% in the next five years. To achieve this, Gov. Hochul recently announced an $8 million increase in the state budget, $5 million of which will be used to enhance healthcare education programs across SUNY community colleges. This money will aid in hiring faculty and establishing new partnerships with other schools, SUNY campus health programs and local employers.

Thomas Nolen, the interim dean of the School of Science and Engineering, has been working on a program proposal with community college transfers in mind. In 2017, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill requiring nurses graduating from associate degree or diploma nursing programs to obtain a baccalaureate in nursing within 10 years of their initial licensure. 

“The healthcare workforce environment has changed drastically since we closed our previous nursing program more than a decade ago,” Nolen said. “Our community college partners around the area are looking to partner with four-year universities like ours to ensure that their two-year nursing degree graduates will meet the new bachelor’s degree requirements they will need for employment.”

New Paltz’s original program was in place for 30 years and was offered to licensed nurses and eligible transfer students. After facing a $6 million deficit in the state’s budget, the school cut the program due to its low enrollment and high cost. With this new program, they are hoping to avoid such drawbacks.

“Our ultimate goal would be to attract many students so that the program pays for itself,” Nolen said. 

The program itself will once again be geared towards nurses and transfer students fulfilling their bachelor’s requirement for employment. Many of these prospective students will already have jobs in the field, so the school is implementing online courses within the curriculum to accommodate working students in addition to clinical activities at medical facilities. They plan to bring on licensed nurses with master’s degrees as both part-time and full-time faculty.

The school is still at least a year or more away from the necessary approvals to operate the program. The campus Curriculum Committee is set to begin reviewing course proposals, after which they will receive the full nursing major proposal. After incorporating their feedback, the proposal will go to the Faculty Senate. Once the proposal has been approved on campus, it will go for extensive review by the SUNY system and the New York State Department of Education.

“All the people I’ve talked to about our plans–healthcare providers, my family physician, CEOs of local hospitals–are excited for New Paltz to someday offer a program like this,” Nolen said.

“There really is a great need for more qualified nurses in our area. A program like this has the potential to both serve the community and help individuals attain secure and rewarding careers.”