Recovery Act Funding Program Could Help Reduce Nursing Shortage

Hinds Community College nursing instructor Flora Green lectures to a class of future nurses

For better or worse, the current economic recession is impacting the states nursing workforce. MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports.

Even though Mississippi still needs about 2000 nurses to care for patients hospitals, nursing homes and other specialities. Ricki Garrett , Director of the State Nursing Association says the current economic crisis is helping to reduce that number because of two main reasons.
"One nurses are tending to stay in the workplace longer. And nurses who had left the work place have come back into the workplace possibly because their spouse ha lost a job or the need for additional income."

Still Garrett says faculty shortages remain.

"And we also have to develop some additional ways to provide nursing education to non traditional students who may not can stop working and go full time to nursing school."

The federal government is releasing 33 million dollars in stimulus funds to help with health care education.William McCallister a full time nursing student at Hinds Community College says the timing is perfect.

"I leave school, go straight to work, get off at two o'clock in the morning two thirty in the morning. And have to prepare that night to get ready for school. So I'm in a constant struggle to stay motivated and stay positive and know that what I'm working for is worth it, But it's extremely stressful, cause I don't have much time. Family time is cut but I have to work to pay the bills and take care of my family."

And for those same reasons, Hinds nursing instructor Flora Green says many students are abandoning the field for other professions.

"So what do you tell them, you tell them don't work, you gotta go to school, you gotta pass this course. You can't tell them don't take care of your family. You need them to still do what they have to do. So we're at a crossroad where we cant solve that problem over night."

It's unclear exactly how much money will go to Mississippi but officials hope it can be used for both tuition and housing. For MPB News, I'm Lawayne Childrey.