California Senate bill proposes community colleges to offer bachelor's degrees in nursing

The proposed pilot program aims to tackle nursing scarcity and advance educational accessibility, offering both two-year and four-year degree options.

By Star Eisenberg, Editor-in-Chief

California legislators are considering Senate Bill 895, which proposes a pilot program authorizing community colleges to grant students bachelor's degrees in nursing.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Richard Roth in January, can change nursing education in the state, opening the door for community colleges to offer 4-year degrees.

“For decades, California has suffered from a shortage of registered nurses, exacerbated by the pandemic and anticipated RN retirements,” said Roth in a press release.  “While this shortage is a national issue, it's particularly acute here, ranking 40th out of 50 states.”

California faces a shortage of approximately 36,000 licensed nurses, according to the UC San Francisco Health Workforce Research Center on Long-Term Care.  Additionally, projections indicate that this shortage will increase to over 44,000 by 2030.

Current nursing baccalaureate degree programs struggle with high demand.  In 2019, over 80,000 applicants were turned away due to factors such as insufficient faculty, clinical sites, and classroom space, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

“This landmark legislation enables our colleges to meet the huge demand for nurses while addressing mounting health disparities in California, especially in underserved areas,” said Francisco C. Rodriguez, chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District.

Under the proposed legislation, the chancellor of the California Community College System would have the authority to select up to 15 community college districts already offering nursing associate degrees to launch bachelor of science in nursing programs.

Officials from the California State University system are concerned about Senate Bill 895 potentially duplicating and competing with existing CSU nursing programs.  Over the past decade, California’s community college and state university systems have grappled with the integration of four-year programs into two-year institutions.

“There is no competition issue in SB 895,” said Roth.  “The public universities cannot keep up with the demand and neither can the private nursing schools.  To address this problem, we need all the players on the field.”

The Valley Star contacted Valley’s nursing department for comment but did not receive a response.

Senate Bill 895 is currently pending a committee hearing.  If passed, it is scheduled to remain in effect until January 1, 2031.

“This legislation represents a forward-thinking approach to healthcare education, directly addressing the needs of our communities and ensuring that we are prepared to meet the health challenges of tomorrow,”  said  Sunita Cooke, superintendent and president of MiraCosta College.