School of Nursing Awarded Funding to Expand Degree Programs

The State University of New York (SUNY) recently awarded more than $1.4 million from its Nursing Emergency Training Fund to 11 state campuses, including Stony Brook University’s School of Nursing, to expand campus healthcare degree programs for students interested in pursuing a nursing career.

Stony Brook has partnered with Dutchess Community College and Fulton Montgomery Community College, using its “NursingFirst” Program with Suffolk County Community College as a model. The partnerships offer joint admissions programs that allow selected students who are accepted into designated community college RN programs to be simultaneously accepted into Stony Brook University’s BSN program.

Students accepted into the program will complete their first two years of study at their community college and then transfer seamlessly to Stony Brook University to complete their degree in nursing.

“Building on our success with Suffolk County Community College, Stony Brook School of Nursing is thrilled to be partnering with Dutchess Community College and Fulton Montgomery Community College to provide nurses the opportunity to earn their bachelor of science degree in nursing,” said Pat Bruckenthal, dean of the School of Nursing. “This program contributes to a nursing workforce that will provide safe care and improve patient health outcomes.”

“Nurses are essential to ensuring and safeguarding the health and welfare of all New Yorkers, but the profession is facing a significant labor shortage — particularly in the aftermath of the Covid crisis,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “SUNY campuses are working to make it easier for more students to pursue this noble profession, and these awards will help make that goal a reality.”

This is the fund’s second investment in less than 12 months, and part of an effort to meet Governor Kathy Hochul’s goal of growing the state’s healthcare workforce by 20 percent over the next five years.

In May, SUNY announced that more than $3.2 million was awarded to 16 campuses to help increase nursing program enrollment capacity. Including this second round of funding, SUNY projects a total of 2,500 spots will be created for prospective students.

All SUNY campuses with nursing programs were eligible to submit proposals for one-time grants of up to $250,000 from the SUNY Nursing Emergency Training Fund. The winning proposals included plans to expand the number of spaces available in nursing programs.

The other campuses awarded funding include: SUNY Brockport, Corning Community College, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, SUNY Empire State College, Jamestown Community College, Mohawk Valley Community College, SUNY Morrisville, Niagara Community College, North Country Community College and Tompkins Cortland Community College.