Schwarzenegger Announces Nurse Education Initiative

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a plan to add new nurses to the state’s hospitals over the next five years with a $90 million public-private effort to fund nurse education. California graduates 6,000 nurses every year but at least 9,500 new nurses are needed to keep up with demand, according to a news release sent from the Governor’s office. The governor’s plan will distribute $90 million over five years in quarterly grants supporting nurse education, encourage private schools and health facilities to develop more nursing education programs, and expand nursing education in the University of California and State University systems. The California Hospital Association released a statement supporting the governor’s plan, especially efforts to increase capacity in nursing education programs.