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College nursing programs across the country are on the front lines in the battle against the nation’s nurse shortage, and Pittsburg State University did their part Thursday to help the cause.
More than 50 high school students — some local, others from as far away as the Kansas City area — visited PSU to take part in Nursing Career Day, an annual event aimed at providing information about Pitt’s nursing program to prospective students.
The morning session also guided students through lessons on how to give shots, start an IV, perform the Heimlich maneuver and health assessments.
Information was also available regarding what it takes to work in various emergency health settings, such as a hospital emergency room, medical helicopter and an ambulance.
Susan Seglie, associate professor or nursing and co-coordinator of the event, said the objective of the program was two-fold.
“It’s here to try to interest high school students in nursing and hopefully into Pittsburg State,” Seglie said. “Also, there is a huge nursing shortage in this country, and we need to work to get more people into the field of nursing.”
Information provided by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing states that the U.S. nursing shortage is projected to grow to 260,000 registered nurses by 2025, which would be a shortage twice as large as any nursing shortage in the U.S. since the mid-1960s.
The recession did not seem to hurt the nursing industry, however.
According to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, more than 21,000 jobs were added at hospitals, long-term care facilities and other ambulatory care settings in June 2009.
A September 2009 report added that 544,000 jobs were added in the healthcare sector since the recession began.
However, Seglie said that as the “Baby Boomers” grow older and retire, the shortage of nurses will likely grow, partly because of the variety of jobs now available to the younger generation.
“There are a lot of different types of jobs out there now for people than there has been in the past,” Seglie said. “Plus, there are some fields that are more profitable.”
Recruitment of and encouragement for potential nursing students — like the ones at Thursday’s event — are likely to become even more vital as the years go on, especially if the nursing shortage projections prove accurate.
“It’s important to familiarize them with the field and with what PSU has to offer,” Seglie said, according to the PSU Web site. “We need good people to continue the long tradition and heritage of nursing.”
Nursing Career Day also served as a leadership course for the approximately 50 PSU seniors who assisted the high school students during the program.
College nursing programs across the country are on the front lines in the battle against the nation’s nurse shortage, and Pittsburg State University did their part Thursday to help the cause.
More than 50 high school students — some local, others from as far away as the Kansas City area — visited PSU to take part in Nursing Career Day, an annual event aimed at providing information about Pitt’s nursing program to prospective students.
The morning session also guided students through lessons on how to give shots, start an IV, perform the Heimlich maneuver and health assessments.
Information was also available regarding what it takes to work in various emergency health settings, such as a hospital emergency room, medical helicopter and an ambulance.
Susan Seglie, associate professor or nursing and co-coordinator of the event, said the objective of the program was two-fold.
“It’s here to try to interest high school students in nursing and hopefully into Pittsburg State,” Seglie said. “Also, there is a huge nursing shortage in this country, and we need to work to get more people into the field of nursing.”
Information provided by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing states that the U.S. nursing shortage is projected to grow to 260,000 registered nurses by 2025, which would be a shortage twice as large as any nursing shortage in the U.S. since the mid-1960s.
The recession did not seem to hurt the nursing industry, however.
According to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, more than 21,000 jobs were added at hospitals, long-term care facilities and other ambulatory care settings in June 2009.
A September 2009 report added that 544,000 jobs were added in the healthcare sector since the recession began.
However, Seglie said that as the “Baby Boomers” grow older and retire, the shortage of nurses will likely grow, partly because of the variety of jobs now available to the younger generation.
“There are a lot of different types of jobs out there now for people than there has been in the past,” Seglie said. “Plus, there are some fields that are more profitable.”
Recruitment of and encouragement for potential nursing students — like the ones at Thursday’s event — are likely to become even more vital as the years go on, especially if the nursing shortage projections prove accurate.
“It’s important to familiarize them with the field and with what PSU has to offer,” Seglie said, according to the PSU Web site. “We need good people to continue the long tradition and heritage of nursing.”
Nursing Career Day also served as a leadership course for the approximately 50 PSU seniors who assisted the high school students during the program.
