Regents bets $3 million will add more nurses

The University System of Georgia is hoping to graduate 50 percent more new nurses in the next three years under a new three million dollar program. The state's public college and university system is funding strategies at 16 campuses in hopes of increasing the number of nursing graduates statewide by 700 a year. Medical College of Georgia President Daniel Rahn told the state Board of Regents on Wednesday during the panel's monthly meeting that the move means the state would produce 2,400 new nurses annually. The strategies include offering accelerated degree programs for registered nurses, increasing nursing faculty salaries and hiring more faculty to teach a larger number of students. Each campus will receive anywhere from $140,000 to $200,000 for the strategies. A recent state House study committee report found that the public health nursing force has dropped to 1,556 in 2006 from 1,700 in 1990.

(Source: Associated Press)