Media Advisory

  

                              For More Information Contact:

                                     Paul Feist

                  Assistant Sec. for Communications

               Ca. Labor & Workforce Dev. Agency

                                        (916) 327-9064

For Immediate Release,

05/06/08

Delta College Highlights the Nursing Shortage and Nurse Education Initiative with a Press Conference on May 9

Stockton

San Joaquin Delta College will focus on efforts to address California’s nursing shortage via the California Nurse Education Initiative with a press conference on Friday, May 9, 10:30 a.m. in the Locke building, room 229.

The press conference will include California Labor and Workforce Development Agency Secretary Victoria Bradshaw, Interim Community Colleges Chancellor Diane Woodruff, Delta College officials and nursing education leaders from throughout the state.

The Nurse Education Initiative, launched in April 2005 by Governor Schwarzenegger, hopes to address the State’s critical shortage of nurses. Since that time, the Schwarzenegger Administration has released a new report showing substantial progress toward narrowing California’s shortage of nurses. Expanded nursing education capacity has led to a 68 percent increase in registered nurse (RN) graduates since 2003-2004.

Since 2005, 23 new nursing education programs have opened and more than 22,500 students are enrolled in California nursing programs. This represents a 24.7 percent increase. San Joaquin Delta College is one of the partners working to educate more RNs and will graduate 79 students on May 28th.

Ms. Bradshaw and Chancellor Woodruff will recognize Delta College and the California Community College Nursing Programs in their efforts to impact the nursing shortage.