On Sept. 27, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 895 that would have allowed California community colleges to offer bachelor’s degree programs for nursing students. 

The bill was made to make nursing programs more accessible for low-income students and possibly help the nursing shortages that have been occurring in California.

According to KTLA, California community colleges were extremely supportive of this bill and strongly hoped for its passing, but the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) programs did not. 

The San Jose Inside says the bill created worry for Cal State’s leadership in nursing programs. If passed, the bill could have decreased enrollments in university nursing programs as well.

Mary Sullivan the Assistant Nursing Professor and Associate Degree in Nursing Program Director has worked at City College since 2017. The City College nursing program is disappointed to hear there won’t be bachelor’s degrees offered. 

“We are disappointed to say the least,” Sullivan said. “It would have been a fantastic thing for our students and our college to offer.” 

She explained that only some nursing facilities will hire nurses with an associate degree, but many other facilities are strictly hiring nurses who have a bachelor’s degree. 

“What people do not realize is that associate degree nursing students and bachelor’s degree nursing students take the same exact state board [exam],” Sullivan said. 

According to Sullivan, Santa Barbara’s Cottage Hospital hires nurses with an associate degree whereas the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Health Center will only hire nurses with a bachelor’s degree otherwise known as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. 

Sullivan added students who already know they want to advance their degree in nursing will start preparing or start taking bachelor’s degree courses at universities that offer those programs. 

Since there are already schools that offer bachelor’s degree programs, community colleges are more affordable which attracts more students. At City College, Sullivan explained there are hundreds of applications the nursing program receives, but only 32 spots are available to students for their nursing program.

“Financially it is a little cheaper,” Sullivan said, “Community college is pretty inexpensive so I think that’s why they [students] chose that route.” 

If the bill was passed, Sullivan says it would have helped streamline the process for people advancing their degrees. She explained what the program finds is once people enter the workforce, it is hard for people to come back to school and finish their degrees. 

For students who struggle with transferring to a four-year university in order to gain their bachelor’s degree, Senate Bill 895 would’ve been more helpful.

“It would have been seamless for them to continue to take their courses through us [City College] and obtain their bachelors through our program,” Sullivan said. 

She was surprised there was a bill being pushed, but says City College nursing students are strong, and facilities love hiring the programs students. Sullivan added the last cohort to take the state board exam to become registered nurses all passed. 

According to Sullivan, The nursing program is not negatively impacted by the vetoed bill because of the positive culture staff and students have created at City College. Sullivan says their program is a therapeutic learning environment and students enjoy nursing school at City College.

The Health Information Management program at City College got approved to offer a bachelor’s degree, despite SB 895 being vetoed.  

City College’s nursing program will await for SB 895 to be passed so students can have a possible Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in the upcoming years. Sullivan added a bachelor’s degree program could possibly bring more opportunities and more enrollment to City College as well.

“We will see what the future holds and we will keep moving forward. We will work on expanding the program and hiring faculty,” Sullivan said. “If a BSN [Bachelor of Science in Nursing] comes around again we’ll be ready.”