Joyce University COO Patrick Rombalski Writes on Nursing Shortage and Access to Nursing Education in The Salt Lake Tribune

Patrick Rombalski writes that the nursing shortage depends on whether capable students can access and complete nursing education.

Published in: The Salt Lake Tribune | October 3, 2026

Patrick Rombalski, Ed.D., Chief Operating Officer at Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences, wrote an op-ed for The Salt Lake Tribune examining how access to nursing education affects the nursing shortage.

Drawing on his years in higher education, Rombalski argues the shortage isn’t just about how many people want to become nurses, but whether capable students can access the education, clinical training and support they need to enter the profession. He points to federal projections of a national shortage of nearly 109,000 registered nurses by 2038, and to more than 93,000 qualified applications that were not accepted at nursing schools nationwide in 2025.

Rombalski calls for more accessible paths for students without lowering the standards patients and the profession deserve, and shares how Joyce has built its programs around online coursework paired with in-person labs, simulation and direct clinical rotations.

Read the full op-ed in The Salt Lake Tribune.