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JERSEY CITY, N.J. | (NJCU) Department of Nursing and its Online Nursing discipline will receive nearly $800,000 in the form of federal appropriations to increase equitable access to high demand online nursing education at the university.

NJCU will receive $782,000 in appropriated funds, which will be earmarked to revamp the university’s online nursing offerings. As the state continues to grapple with a statewide nursing shortage that was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the funding will enhance the university’s ability to provide equitable access to high-demand online nursing education (RN to BSN) in the region and ultimately graduate highly qualified nurses to serve the ever-changing needs of citizens of �鶹��ý. The federal funding will enhance the technical framework and expand educational opportunities.

The nursing shortage statistics are staggering. By 2030, �鶹��ý is projected to experience a shortage of 10,000 nurses across the state. Currently, �鶹��ý’s nursing shortage is ranked third most severe in the country — behind only the two most populous states in the nation according to the , California (39.5 million) and Texas (29.1 million), compared to �鶹��ý which is only the 11th most populated state at 9.29 million.

United States Senator Bob Menendez, the State of �鶹��ý’s senior senator and a Hudson County native, who was the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree in June 2022 when he addressed the graduates of the NJCU Class of 2022 Commencement ceremony, understands how critical online nursing education is to the residents of �鶹��ý.

“The fiscal year 2023 funding bill we passed at the end of last year contains significant wins and critical funding for �鶹��ý, including $181 million for community projects throughout the state that I helped secure,” said U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. “I was proud to advocate on behalf of �鶹��ý to help deliver funds that would provide online nursing students the opportunity to flexibly balance family, work, school, and their other priorities. This funding supports the preparation needed for nursing students to have successful careers in our healthcare system from the comfort of their home, saving them money while doing so.”

NJCU Interim President Andrés Acebo noted: “NJCU has a storied history of providing and championing equitable access and pipelines to education, including educating nurses. This strategic investment from the federal government in the state’s oldest minority-serving and Hispanic-serving public university, with the most socioeconomically diverse student body, enhances the reach of the institution's mission of meeting our students wherever they are — so they can enter to learn from anywhere, and exit to serve a state in desperate need of nurses after the pandemic. As technology and learning styles change, we also must change how we deliver this education, and we are uniquely positioned to deliver this service to our population of underserved students.”

“I especially wish to thank Senator Menendez for understanding and championing the value of our institution and its indispensable role in elevating future nurses. Together, we are educating socially conscious and dedicated nurses and public health professionals.”

It is yet another important investment in a nursing program that has been recognized for its excellence. In October 2022, NJCU’s nursing program was recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2022-2025 for its iNurse Initiative in the Accelerated BSN degree program — a designation following more than a decade of use of Apple technology by the university as a part of the initiative. 

NJCU, which offers nursing education at its new NJCU @ Fort Monmouth location and its state-of-state art nursing education center in Rossey Hall on its main campus, has been ranked for the quality of its nursing programs. Notably, in the 2021 Nursing School Almanac rankings, NJCU @ Fort Monmouth was ranked the in the state of �鶹��ý.

Joyce Wright Ph.D., RN, CNE, Chair of the NJCU Nursing Department and its RN to BSN Coordinator, said: “As chair of the nursing department, I know that nursing faculty are looking forward to transitioning in-person courses to online format, thereby providing flexibility for working professionals enrolled in our RN-to-BSN program as well as students in our one-year, Accelerated Nursing Program. Like NJCU’s entire student body, our nursing students reflect the diversity of our communities and offering this additional accommodation will enable them to earn degrees more conveniently and more rapidly begin meeting the essential healthcare needs of their underserved populations.”

Graduates of the expanded online nursing program will be prepared to expand their career opportunities and administer high quality care for a complex and aging populace, while offering patients a high level of expertise and knowledge. The program will achieve its goals by providing remote and online instruction, flexible tutorial and mentoring schedules, advanced simulation technology, and offering a wide range of academic and non-academic support. 

�鶹��ý NJCU:
�鶹��ý is an institution of higher learning dedicated to the development of our students, our city, our communities, and our state. We are a game-changing force for our students and have been recognized as one of the top colleges in the nation improving their upward economic mobility. Whether enrolled in one of our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs at our three locations, NJCU students have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of �鶹��ý.

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Contact:
Ira Thor, Senior Director of University Communications and Media Relations | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301