Copyright© 2007 by School Services of California, Inc.

                                      Volume 20                   For Publication Date: February 2, 2007             No. 3

Community College Nursing Students—Admission by Lottery? 

Even though the State Budget for California Community Colleges has included significant increases in funding for nursing programs over the past few fiscal years, demand continues to outstrip supply. As a result, with more demand for classes than colleges have room for, some colleges have started determining who gets in with a random drawing. Using a lottery over a ranking system is meant to increase the diversity of nursing students, but some students feel that it puts patient health at risk when top students are denied. 

Not only in California, but across the nation, officials must look at ways to limit the number of applicants because colleges do not have the resources to admit every qualified applicant. Nursing programs tend to be one of the highest-cost programs to operate on a community college campus. Some local community colleges are turning away 80% of would-be nurses. The statewide average is 40%, according to California for Patient Care, a nonprofit group advocating for health care reform. 

Space limitations and fiscal resources hamper state and college efforts to fill nursing spots—there are 14,000 vacancies for registered nurses statewide, according to Californians for Patient Care. The Chancellor’s Office is pushing for a switch to the lottery process, but an appropriate alternative has not yet been developed. 

California Nurse Education Initiative 

Governor Schwarzenegger has stated, “Nurses are people of compassion and courage. Their profession is a labor of love and without them we simply could not deliver quality care for patients. California is facing a severe nursing shortage and it is absolutely critical that we open up the nursing profession to everyone who has the passion and potential.” 

To increase education opportunities for nurses and improve health care quality in California, the Governor has created the California Nurse Education Initiative, a five-year, $90 million public-private partnership.

Governor’s Five-Point Plan 

The Governor’s Five-Point Plan under this initiative is as follows: 

1.      Provide $90 million to expand and increase nurse education opportunities

2.      Partner with schools and health facilities to build more educational programs

3.      Recruit more qualified instructors

4.      Develop new avenues to nursing careers with high school and college nursing academies and apprenticeships

5.      Seek additional funds for nurse education from federal and other funding sources 

Community College Budget for Nursing Programs 

The Governor’s proposed State Budget for 2007-08 contains a $9 million one-time funding increase, and $9 million in ongoing funds to support additional nursing program capacity.

—Arnold Bray