SCSU's nursing program hits new heights

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I thought I should add this: SCSU’s nursing program hits new heights- The New Haven Register - Serving Greater New Haven, CT

The nursing program at Southern Connecticut State University began in the basement of Engleman Hall in 1969, with two faculty members, a single classroom and just a handful of students. Forty years later, nursing has grown to become the top major at SCSU.

Enrollment in the nursing program has increased tremendously in recent years, up 83 percent since 2002. Last fall, SCSU saw a record 873 undergraduate students declare nursing or pre-nursing majors.

Lisa Rebeschi, SCSU Nursing Department chairwoman, said students are drawn to the program because of its excellent reputation. Last year, 100 percent of graduates passed the state licensure exam on the first attempt.

Rebeschi also attributes the dramatic surge in interest to media attention toward the national nursing shortage, which places new nurses in high demand.

“Historically, the profession has seen many shortages,” said Rebeschi, but calls the recent crisis, “the most severe and profound.” The country’s aging population places a large burden on the national health care system, creating a need for nurses, which universities are struggling to meet.

Even as job opportunities abound for nursing graduates, schools often are forced to limit enrollment because of financial concerns that prevent the addition of faculty members and construction of new facilities.

The nursing department has received state and federal grants to help fund classroom expansion, purchase equipment and sustain students with scholarships and stipends.

Still, Rebeschi reports that SCSU has “many more qualified applicants” than the school can accept, citing a shortage of faculty, facilities and funds to support more students. With all the expansion in recent years, Rebeschi says that the nursing program is now “near capacity.”

But SCSU’s Nursing Department has made it through challenges before.

Immaculata Alba, one of the original faculty members of the department, came to SCSU from a successful position at the University of Connecticut. “We saw a need, and we decided to take a chance,” said Alba.

She said that times were tough in the early years of the program. “We were experiencing something similar to what we’re experiencing now in the economy. There wasn’t much money around,” she said.

Despite the infancy of the program and a lack of proper facilities, there was no problem attracting students to the fledgling nursing department. “We always managed to get a goodly number,” said Alba.

“The only thing that stopped us from getting more and more students is a shortage of faculty and facilities,” said Alba. “Of course, that is what’s happening now.”

In the face of current financial difficulties, SCSU is looking for creative ways to meet the demand for nurses. The department has offered an online program for the past five years. This is also the second year that SCSU will offer an Accelerated Career Entry program for students who are approaching nursing as a second career.

Sarah Yager is a New Haven Register intern.

The ACE program, open to applicants who hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in another field, allows completion of the nursing curriculum in just 12 months. “We’re looking for a way to put nurses out in a more accelerated manner,” said Rebeschi.

With all the changes and growth to the nursing program at SCSU, one thing that remains constant is the quality of the students.

Alba returned to the Nursing Department as a part-time employee a few years ago, responding to the faculty shortage. She is impressed by the way the program has grown, and positive about the direction of its future.

“From what I can see, they’re excellent students,” said Alba. “That’s something we’ve always had.”