Miracosta College Awarded $1.2 Million To Expand Nursing Education
India-West Staff Reporter
OCEANSIDE, CA – MiraCosta College has received a substantial $1.2 million grant from the state’s Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure initiative. This vital funding will significantly expand the college’s nursing program, directly addressing a critical 46 percent shortfall of registered nurses in the San Diego region.
The grant will enable MiraCosta College to boost student enrollment by 26 percent and enhance clinical training using cutting-edge simulation technologies. It will also establish new partnerships with California State Universities for smoother transfers and create an innovative apprenticeship model for Licensed Vocational Nurses to become Registered Nurses. These efforts are set to meet urgent local and statewide healthcare needs.
The San Diego region faces a severe shortage, with 1,925 open RN positions but only 1,037 new graduates in 2022-2023, leaving a gap of 888 nurses. This problem is worsened by a rapidly aging population, as residents aged 65 and older are projected to increase by 32 percent by 2050. Additionally, there are significant health disparities locally, including limited access to care and higher death rates from chronic diseases, according to regional data.
The grant will support several key areas. It will increase annual enrollment in the Associate Degree in Nursing program by 18 students and develop the LVN-to-RN apprenticeship, letting vocational nurses complete RN training at their workplaces. New concurrent enrollment programs with CSU San Marcos and San Diego State University will improve transfer rates for Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees.
