The School of Nursing and Health Sciences, the first of its kind in the 107-year history of Providence College, and the only new undergraduate nursing program in over a decade in Rhode Island, was founded in 2022. Establishing the school comes at a time of unprecedented demand for skilled and compassionate nurses and other health care professionals, a need that continues to grow both locally and nationwide.
Rhode Island’s largest employment sector is health care and social assistance, employing approximately 76,600 workers, yet this workforce is insufficient to meet current needs or anticipated future shortfalls. The demand for nurses and other health care professionals in Rhode Island, and in most locations, is influenced by several factors such as population growth, an aging demographic [where health care needs accelerate], socioeconomic factors and workforce trends such as job turnover rates.
Estimates vary regarding the significant challenge of addressing the health care employment gap in Rhode Island in the coming years. Published and unpublished sources all tend to point in the same direction and suggest that perhaps as many as 700-1,000 open nursing vacancies will need to be filled at Rhode Island’s hospitals each year. The Miriam Hospital alone, a nationally recognized magnate hospital for nursing excellence, estimates it will need to hire 100-150 new nurses annually in the coming years. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates a shortfall of 10 million health care workers by 2030.
Rhode Island stands out as one of the few states poised to meet the growing demand for nurses by 2030. This hinges on our ability to maintain or accelerate the current rate of nurse production and recruitment, while ensuring their retention within the Ocean State, particularly during the critical initial years of employment when turnover rates are highest.
Currently, the turnover rate of newly licensed, registered nurses who jump to another job within the first 12 months of employment is 12% to 25%, a swinging door that greatly exacerbates replacement costs and prolongs critical time to optimal productivity among novice nurses.
Slowing the compelling churn rate means creative solutions will be needed on both sides of the health care employment equation – recruitment and retention. This will likely require a multifaceted approach such as meeting wage requirements offered by our neighboring states, particularly in Massachusetts, and incentivizing new nursing and health sciences graduates to stay in Rhode Island through opportunities such as tuition payback and continued professional development.
Affordable housing options for recent graduates could further incentivize them to stay within commuting distance.
The School of Nursing and Health Sciences has already begun to partner with hospitals from Lifespan Corp. and Care New England Health System, the two largest health care systems in the state, to develop innovative approaches for recruiting and retaining new nurses and health sciences students.
One promising initiative is the PC Summer Nursing Academy, launched in May. As part of the program, 18 first-year nursing students obtained their nursing assistant licensure and participated in an intensive six-week immersive experience at The Miriam Hospital, followed by a summer residency on PC’s campus. Students reported that this was an invaluable introduction into the nursing profession and hospital staff identified it as a pathway to forge positive relationships leading to future employment. These early experiences, preceding student nurse clinicals, aim to cultivate a pipeline of future employees who can achieve optimal productivity and sustainable retention rates.
With a strong start in its inaugural year, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences looks ahead to a future filled with limitless possibilities for success and innovation in supporting the health care needs in Rhode Island.
For instance, a planning grant for a new Center for Nursing Education and Research that includes developing a mental health nursing coalition in Rhode Island, funded through a federal congressional grant, is underway. Additionally, the 150,000-plus-square-foot Mondor Center for Nursing and Health Sciences, slated to open in early 2025, promises to host exciting new resources and foster statewide collaborations aimed at supporting the well-being of those in Rhode Island and beyond for decades to come.
Kyle McInnis is dean of Providence College’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences.
