Nursing Resources & Links
CHAHEC Nursing Initiatives
New York State has serious, long-term health workforce shortages. Hospitals, long-term care, and home healthcare agency leaders in communities across New York State have identified critical workforce shortages that continue to be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made an immediate and long-lasting impact on the nursing profession. Some nurses suffered devastating health consequences. Many dealt with excessive on-the-job stress factors, such as shortages of adequate personal protective equipment, hospital jobs abruptly changing, and caring for patients outside their realms of expertise, often with minimal training – all while isolated from their families. Burnout in the nursing profession is likely and for some nurses, conditions under which they worked may be the last straw that drives them away from bedside nursing. However, nursing schools are drawing more applicants and increased professional autonomy, leadership opportunities, and career growth potential have resulted from pandemic-based health care needs.
Catskill Hudson AHEC addresses critical health workforce issues such as these and offers viable resources and takeaways to attendees of our annual continuing education programs.
Some of Catskill Hudson AHEC’s current initiatives include:
Nursing Summit – Catskill Hudson AHEC
In 2004, Catskill Hudson AHEC presented its first Nursing Summit to nurse administrators and nurse educators who wished to work together and with Catskill Hudson AHEC to promote the profession of nursing in New York State. Since then, Catskill Hudson AHEC’s Nursing Summit has attracted all levels of the nursing profession, as well as healthcare professionals, health professions educators, and health professions students by providing an educational forum to explore topics of relevance and critical issues facing nursing and healthcare professionals today and supporting the continued development of and within the nursing profession. The Nursing Summit has also provided invaluable networking opportunities for attendees.
Over the years, Nursing Summit topics have included:
- Nursing in and Through a Pandemic: A Time to Heal
- The Response to the Nursing Profession to the Challenge of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES): Emerging Intervention Strategies
- Cultivating Health Communities: The Role of the Nurse in Population Health
- The Role of the Nurse in Shaping the Future of Healthcare: Progressing Toward the Triple Aim
- Transformational Leadership in a New Healthcare Environment
- Improving Healthcare to LGBT Individuals and Families: Awareness to Action
- Ethics
- Mock Trial and Beyond (a live demonstration of healthcare litigation and more)
- Use of Technology for Teaching and Staff Development
- Developing Staff Excellence
- Online Curriculum Development
- Nurse Preceptor Development
- The Artistry of Nurse Management
- Bringing Together Leaders in Nursing Practice and Nursing Education
Health Professions Seminars – Catskill Hudson AHEC
In 2016, Catskill Hudson AHEC introduced Health Professions Seminars; a continuing education series for Health Providers. These annual educational forums will incorporate highly relevant topics surrounding the health professions with instruction by experts in the field.
For more information about these programs, please visit our Continuing Education Programs section.
If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive information about future continuing education programs, please email your request to Carolyn Steele at csteele@chahec.org or call our staff at (845) 883-7260.





Nursing Shortage
A major public health challenge for the future of our nation’s health care system is the increasing aging population. In New York State, the shortage of nurses varies by region and is only in part due to the increasing aging population. Other factors affecting this trend in NYS are the uneven distribution of nurses within the state and a shortage of nursing faculty especially in rural and underserved communities. It is predicted that the need for nurses as well as other healthcare professionals will continue to increase over the next several years.
For more information about the Nursing Shortage, please visit the following websites:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing – Nursing Shortage Resources
https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-information/nursing-shortage-resources/about
Center for Health Workforce Studies – Nurse Workforce Supply and Demand Projections: How Different Models and Source Data Influence Results
https://www.chwsny.org/our-work/presentations/nurse-w/
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – What are the projections for health workforce practitioners?
https://bhw.hrsa.gov/data-research/projecting-health-workforce-supply-demand
National Library of Medicine – The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity





Nursing Resources
Scope of Practice
State laws, institutional policies and licensure specify “scope of practice” or what responsibilities, tasks or functions a nurse is allowed to perform while working. For more information about Scopes of Practice for nurses practicing in New York State, please visit the following websites:
Office of the Professions, Practice Information http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nursepracticeissues.htm
Office of the Professions, Nursing Guide to Practice
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurse-guide-april09.pdf
Professional Development
With advancements in technology and research, budget constraints, healthcare workforce shortages and other influencing factors, the healthcare system is in a constant state of change. These fluctuations often influence current and future healthcare practices. The ensuing need for change also affects the role of nursing and how nurses provide care to patients, families and communities. Maintaining standards of the most current and best practices requires nurses to seek opportunities for professional development in either in a formal or continuing education capacity to minimize risk, maintain competency and promote professionalism within this constantly changing healthcare environment.
For more information about Professional Development, please visit the following websites:
NursingCenter.com – Clinical Resources
http://nursingcenter.com/
NurseZone.com
http://www.nursezone.com/Edu-Prof-Development/default.aspx
American Nurses Credentialing Center https://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/
Health Policy Nurse Career Guide https://nursejournal.org/careers/health-policy-nurse/
Nurse Education Programs
For information on Education Programs for nurses, such as Schools of Nursing, Colleges or Universities in New York, please visit the following websites:
Accredited Schools Online – https://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/
Center to Champion Nursing, CampaignForAction.org – Preparation, Training and Roles –
http://campaignforaction.org/sites/default/files/Fact_Sheet_Providers_NursingCare_0.pdf
Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs – http://www.dnpprograms.com
Doctors of Nursing Practice DNP – The DNP is available through post-bachelor’s (BSN-to-DNP) and post-master’s (MSN-to-DNP) programs to accommodate both BSN and MSN-prepared RNs and APRNs. It stands as the ultimate terminal practice-focused nursing degree, offering specialty tracks in each of the advanced practice nursing roles and patient population focus areas, and in aggregate/systems/organizational focus areas designed to prepare nurses for careers in public health, administration, healthcare policy, informatics and more – www.doctorofnursingpracticednp.org.
Future of Nursing-NYS – NYS Diversity and Inclusion in Nursing Tool Kit –
http://media.wix.com/ugd/bd3719_b10f0f5a7b3a49e2a7c62e0343952e6a.pdf
New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), Nursing Practice – Continuing Education –
http://www.nysna.org/nursing-practice/continuing-education#.Vg7NRqSFNi4
Office of the Professions, NYS Education Department – New York State Nursing Programs –
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurseprogs.htm
Nursing Scholarship and Financial Aid Resources
Office of the Professions, NYS Department of Education – NYS Nursing Education Scholarships, Grants and Loans
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurse-education-scholarships-grants.htm
NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) – Grants, Scholarships and Loan Programs
https://www.hesc.ny.gov/pay-for-college/financial-aid/types-of-financial-aid.html
CollegeScholarships.org – NY Scholarship and Grant Government Programs
http://www.collegescholarships.org/states/new-york.htm
New York State Nurses Association – NYSNA Secor Scholarship
http://www.nysna.org/nysna-secor-scholarship#.Vg7LAKSFNi4
Funding Your Nursing School Education – Scholarships, Financial Aid, and Other Ways to Pay – http://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/nursing-schools/scholarships-and-financial-aid/
Nurse Continuing Education Resources
Office of the Professions, NYS Department of Education – NYS Nursing Education Scholarships, Grants and Loans
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurse-education-scholarships-grants.htm
NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) – Grants, Scholarships and Loan Programs
https://www.hesc.ny.gov/pay-for-college/financial-aid/types-of-financial-aid.html
CollegeScholarships.org – NY Scholarship and Grant Government Programs
http://www.collegescholarships.org/states/new-york.htm
New York State Nurses Association – NYSNA Secor Scholarship
http://www.nysna.org/nysna-secor-scholarship#.Vg7LAKSFNi4
Funding Your Nursing School Education – Scholarships, Financial Aid, and Other Ways to Pay – http://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/nursing-schools/scholarships-and-financial-aid/
Professional Nursing Organizations
Google Directory – Health, Nursing Organizations in the United States
http://www.dmoz.org/Health/Nursing/Organizations/North_America/United_States/
American Nursing Association – New York
http://ana-ny.org/
New York State Nurses Association
http://www.nysna.org