NJ Spotlight News
William Paterson University goes all in with nursing program
Clip: 3/7/2024 | 4m 7sVideo has Closed Captions
The university recently opened the largest nursing program in NJ
Doing its part to address the ongoing nursing shortage nationwide, William Paterson University has become the largest nursing program in the state, with 1,800 students enrolled since launching its new dedicated school in September. The university's undergraduate nursing enrollment has more than doubled since 2019, officials said.
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NJ Spotlight News is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS
NJ Spotlight News
William Paterson University goes all in with nursing program
Clip: 3/7/2024 | 4m 7sVideo has Closed Captions
Doing its part to address the ongoing nursing shortage nationwide, William Paterson University has become the largest nursing program in the state, with 1,800 students enrolled since launching its new dedicated school in September. The university's undergraduate nursing enrollment has more than doubled since 2019, officials said.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipIn our spotlight on business report, Closing the Gap on New Jersey's nursing shortage.
We first reported on William Paterson University's New School of Nursing just before it launched last fall.
And in a matter of months, it's become home to one of the largest and fastest growing nursing programs in the state.
As Raven Santana reports, the university is boasting the largest nursing student enrollment in all of North Jersey.
Can't breathe.
A patient admitted to the hospital, lies in the emergency room screaming he can't breathe.
His heart rate is dropping and he continues to complain about abdominal pain.
My belly hurts in emergency situations.
Decisions that nurses make could make the difference between life and death.
This computerized mannequin is part of a comprehensive nursing program offered to nearly 2000 students enrolled at William Paterson University's School of Nursing.
When a William Paterson alum walks into your room as your nurse, you know you have someone who is well prepared, caring, empathetic, and you will get better.
William Paterson University President Richard Helldobler.
Both the new nursing school that opened in fall 2023 now has the largest nursing student enrollment in the state across the bachelor's masters and doctoral levels held, Helldobler believes offering online courses has helped increase enrollment as it caters to diverse and nontraditional students.
He additionally points out more than 60% of nursing students are people of color.
Right before the pandemic, we launched WP online to really go after the working adult and that the market in that space and it has really proven beneficial in terms of growing nursing to now 1800 students.
So we are now the largest nursing program on any single campus in the state of New Jersey.
Currently, the school has 24 full time and part time faculty, as well as more than 100 adjunct faculty.
A vast majority of them are working nurses who teach on the side.
Dr. Minerva Salinas Guttman, associate dean of the nursing school, says the school's collaboration with Atlantic Health System has been a game changer for students.
The Atlantic Health System, Morristown Overlook and Christian Health are clinical agencies that we use to to send our students for their training, meaning they go there for clinical experiences at once or twice a week, depending on the course, to learn how to take care of patients, work with nurses in the actual situation.
Well, this is one of more than ten lifelike mannequins here at the school that nursing students I spoke with say are preparing them for real life situations, not just in health care settings, but in environments including patients homes.
We did a whole week on communication, which that's, you know, a big portion of bedside manner and something that I didn't personally think about when, you know, when coming into the nursing program, you think you're going to be doing IVs and you know, a lot of other of those technical skills.
But it definitely makes me more comfortable going into clinical knowing that I have the ability to do the hands on skills.
So we have three skill labs and that's where the students will practice their IV therapy.
They'll be doing oxygen therapy, putting in a Foley catheterization.
So that's all their skills.
And then we have several what we call Madigan's, what their patient simulators are or patient simulators breathe.
They have a heart rate.
They have pulses, their eyeballs move.
Their eyeballs also constrict.
They can have cataracts.
So we can change them walking in.
It's very scary when you're a new nursing student, walking in and wondering what to do.
So here they can practice.
President Helldobler says he now wants to continue to expand health programs at the school to include other areas like physical therapy and pharmacy for NJ Spotlight News, I'm Raven Santana.
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