State Nursing Education Coalition Assesses Progress
Aug 31, 2016
October 2011
The coalition effort, mandated by the New Mexico State Legislature in 2010, has been proceeding for approximately a year. Dr. Elizabeth Berrey, executive director of nursing programs at CNM, says the latest meeting was designed for members to share the progress made so far and marshal their efforts to complete the plan so it will go into effect as scheduled in 2013. Dr. Berrey opened the meeting with introductory remarks, and CNM President Kathie Winograd and HWPS Dean Nicholas Spezza were on hand to welcome the coalition members.
Another goal is to establish three-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs at community colleges; this will greatly expand the number of schools offering BSN programs, beyond just those at the university level. Students would also have the option to graduate after two years with an associate's degree. Current trends predict an increasing demand for nurses with bachelor's degrees. This increases graduates' qualifications and will also multiply the number of nurses eligible to teach, addressing the critical shortage of nursing educators limiting the number of students the educational system can accommodate.
Nationwide, New Mexico is near the bottom of the 50 states in the number of nurses per 100,000 population. The progress made by NMNEC, including contributions from CNM administrators and faculty members, should help improve the situation.