Federal Grant Coming to CT to Advance Nursing Careers

More than $2.9 million in federal funding is coming to Connecticut to help alleviate the nursing shortage and help people advance their careers in nursing.

Healthcare professionals were aware that a shortage was coming, but the pandemic exacerbated it.

“Many nurses left as a result of the trauma they sustained during the pandemic,” Patrick Charmel, the president and CEO of Griffin Hospital, said.

Nurses are especially needed in Connecticut, according to Charmel, as the elderly population continues to grow and the working-age population is stagnant or slightly shrinking.

Those 65 and older use healthcare four times more than those under the age of 65, Charmel said.

“We’ve got a shortage of nurses. It’s been mounting for years. We actually need about 3,000 new nurses a year in Connecticut,” Joseph Carbone, the president and CEO of The Workplace, said.

The Workplace’s Healthcare Academy is the program providing people with the opportunity to get a degree in nursing. It is in Bridgeport and will provide hands-on training.

With an additional $2.9 million, the Workplace will be able to help people afford additional schooling.

Tuition will be free and it will help with transportation and childcare, according to Carbone, who said the goal is to help people stay in school and advance their careers.

“There’s a lot of folks, they’ll graduate with a degree with a CNA, but in terms of going back to pursue higher kinds of credentials, they’ve got family, they’ve got other considerations in their life. We’re trying to increase the stock, the labor force of people in the medical service so that we can invest in them and they can move upwards. Those are good jobs. This will take people really from entry level to hopefully becoming an LPN or a registered nurse,” said Carbone.

The U.S. Department of Labor is providing the grant through its nursing expansion program.