McLennan Community College has decided one of the best ways its can help alleviate a statewide nurse shortage is to prevent nursing students from dropping out of school.

This past session, the Texas Legislature approved $30 million in new funding to help nursing schools immediately increase graduate numbers. That was in addition to $14.7 million that will be available to nursing programs once they increase enrollment.

Nursing advocates have applauded the increased funding, warning that without it Texas would have faced a nursing crisis within a decade. In 2008, for example, Texas’ supply of full-time registered nurses lagged 22,000 behind demand, according to the Texas Nursing Workforce Shortage Coalition.

Similarly, nursing schools turned away 8,000 qualified applicants that year, the coalition says. The coalition is made up of health care organizations, education entities and business groups.

Program requirements

A prime reason schools have trouble expanding nursing programs is that they are required to have one faculty member for every 10 students.

MCC is able to afford only one new nursing instructor per year, meaning it can add only 10 students annually. Currently, about 300 students are enrolled there.

MCC’s share of the new funding is more than $200,000 this year and next year combined, said Ron Epps, dean of workforce education. Schools got money based on their retention rate, with those that have a graduation rate of 70 percent or more getting more money. MCC’s retention rate is about 69 percent, he said.

Because of that, the college decided the best use of the money would be to hire specialists who work with students to help them stay in school, Epps said.

At community colleges, students may abandon classes for complex reasons, such as a child becoming ill or a demanding work schedule, he said.

MCC is using part of the money to pay for a second retention specialist for the nursing program, Epps said. Such specialists work with struggling students one-on-one, providing tutoring and other help, he said.

Another portion of the money will fund an academic specialist position. That employee works with students on things such as critical thinking skills, Epps said.

In addition, the school has used some of the money to improve an online program that offers tips on things such as study skills and time management.

“We just don’t want to get them in and then have then drop out for some reason,” Epps said.

Statewide, many nursing schools have used the money to increase enrollment. But improving retention is certainly a good use of the money, said Jennifer Banda, senior director of government relations for the Texas Hospital Association, a key player in the coalition. The overall goal was to get nursing schools more money that they can use in whatever way they feel will most increase graduates, she said.

“You can enroll all the people you want, but if they don’t graduate, that money is going into a black hole and that doesn’t solve the problem.” Banda said.

cculp@wacotrib.com

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