A gap or shortfall somewhere in Oregon health care is as predictable as a solar eclipse.

Central Oregon Community College is trying to help Oregon master some of the gaps. It is creating more opportunities for students to become nurses and for advanced degrees in nursing.

First, though, let’s dwell on some gaps. None of them are particularly fresh, which makes them all the worse.

Oregon has a shortage of registered nurses estimated to be in the thousands. It was magnified by the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2023 study estimated Oregon’s gap may be as low as 13,000 or as high as 21,000.

Oregon also doesn’t have enough openings in programs for nurses for qualified students. Some programs in the state reject about half the qualified applicants, because they just don’t have spots available.

Right alongside those gaps, there’s reason to believe Oregon’s nurses should get more training than some do. The recommendation from the Institute of Medicine to improve care is that more nurses should be trained nurses with a bachelor of science degree in nursing or higher. It set a goal of 80% of nurses with more training. Oregon may not be there. The latest percentage we could get from the Oregon Health Authority was from 2020 and at that time it was 61%. St. Charles Health System was unable to track down its percentage by our deadline.

Central Oregon Community College is taking action in a couple areas.

In fall of 2025, it will be offering 64 spots for its associate degree program, that’s eight more than currently offered.

COCC is also getting approvals lined up for a new program that will allow nurses to get their bachelor of science in nursing.

A key advantage of having the BSN, bachelor of science, over an associate degree, AD, is that it opens up more opportunities for leadership and advancement. For instance, a nurse with a BSN could be a floor manager. The pay is also more, about $3 more an hour, which adds up to thousands more a year. The scope of medical practice is the same.

As is true of so many programs at COCC, the new BSN program is likely to be a bargain, as opposed to other places where students could go. St. Charles even has a tuition reimbursement program for its employees.

The plan is that there will be seven students in the BSN program at COCC in the first year, which would be in 2026. Later, it may expand. The program would be offered in a six-school consortium with other community colleges around the state.

Once a student has completed the prerequisites, an AD in nursing takes about two years and a BSN takes about an additional year.

We don’t have to accept that Oregon will always have nursing shortfalls. COCC is making a difference.