A state bill allowing community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in nursing was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday.
Senate Bill 895, introduced by state Sen. Richard Roth (D-Riverside), sought to expand on a recently implemented law that opened up the door for community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees by adding bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN) degrees to the mix.
The bill was lauded as a potential game-changer for nursing education, making the often expensive pursuit more accessible to low-income students while addressing a critical shortage of working nurses that has placed significant stress on local hospitals.
While California’s community colleges were behind the bill, the state’s four-year university systems were not, arguing the bill would create competition for teaching resources and impede other efforts already underway to expand access to existing nursing bachelor’s programs.
In his veto letter, Newsom agreed with the California State University and University of California, saying “a pause should be taken” to understand the full impact before giving community colleges the ability to create baccalaureate nursing programs.
The governor specifically points to a $60 million per year grant program on nursing workforce development, which can be used to expand partnerships among higher education institutions to increase transfers of associate’s in nursing students into a public bachelor’s of science program.
“I appreciate the author’s commitment to expanding access to baccalaureate nursing degree programs for community college students,” Newsom wrote. “All segments of higher education should continue to focus on building these programs together, and I am concerned this bill could inadvertently undermine that collaboration.”
A spokesperson for San Diego City College, one of the schools hoping to be selected for the baccalaureate nursing program, said they are disappointed with the governor’s decision “especially after the considerable support both bills received in the Legislature.”
“Our nursing students deserve access to affordable BSN degrees,” the spokesperson continued.
Nursing as an educational route is currently one of the most expensive and impacted degrees at universities across California.
State-imposed restrictions on class sizes often complicate community college students’ efforts to make the jump from their associate degree program.
Given limited spaces in public universities’ nursing programs, many nursing students are forced to turn to the higher-cost programs at private or independent institutions — educational settings that charge significantly more in tuition, pricing out lower-income students.
And yet holding a BSN is becoming more of a requirement to work as a nurse, despite not being legally mandated.
Chris Crane, associate professor of nursing at San Diego City College, explained many hospitals are now prioritizing BSN-prepared nurses to obtain and maintain Magnet Recognition.
“The hiring process has changed,” said Chris Crane, associate professor of nursing at City College. Crane is also an alumni of the college’s nursing program. “It is required at this point that these students obtain a BSN.”
More nurses are still urgently needed in local hospitals, who are facing an average vacancy rate of over 30%, according to the Hospital Association of Southern California. This shortfall is estimated to be around 36,000 licensed nurses, a figure expected to grow even more by 2030.
Experts say the shortage leads to higher rates of burnout among working nurses, which is a leading reason why they leave the field. The shortage also impacts patient care, leading to more errors, higher morbidity and mortality rates.