Florida’s Nursing Shortage

INFORMATION YOU CAN HEAD TO H M C E C DOT OR WELL. FLORIDA IS IN THE MIDST OF A MAJOR NURSING SHORTAGE AND THE STATE IS FIGHTING THE RAPID DECLINE BY INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS THIS WEEK, THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM ANNOUNCED ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS THROUGH ITS PIPELINE AND LINE FALLS. NOW THESE FINANCES, EXPAND NURSING PROGRAMS AND SUPPLY SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS WHO ARE MAJORING IN WGCUS KATE CRONIN HAS MORE ON THE IMPACT. THESE PROGRAMS ARE HAVING RIGHT HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. >> NURSES ARE THE BACKBONE IN THE HEALTH CARE IN THE HOSPITAL INDUSTRY. THEY KEEP PATIENTS SAFE ADVOCATE FOR THEIR NEEDS AND ALSO PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE. BUT HOSPITALS COULD BE IN TROUBLE AS THE FLORIDA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION REPORTED, WE COULD SEE A SHORTAGE OF CLOSE TO 60,000 NURSES BY TWENTY-THIRTY 7. TO LEARN ABOUT COMBATING THE SHORTAGE. I'M JOINED BY ANGELA VITALY. DO YOU KNOW THE NURSING THAT RESCUE SCENE UNIVERSITY? FORT MYERS CAMPUS, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. MISTER TALLEY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME, KATE. >> AND NOW RASMUSSEN BELIEVES IT HAS THE SOLUTION TO THESE CHALLENGES. THE NURSES ARE FACING WHEN THEY'RE WORKING TO GET THEIR ACCREDITATION BALANCING WORK, FAMILY AND THEIR EDUCATION YOU HAVE THIS NEW PRACTICAL NURSING DIPLOMA PROGRAM THAT CAN BE COMPLETED IN AS FEW AS 15 MONTHS. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY ON THE WEEKENDS, CAN YOU TELL ME WHY RASMUSSEN MADE THE SWITCH TO FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY CLASSES. SURE. THANK YOU. SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT. >> IT'S CHALLENGING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A SCHEDULE THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO. >> TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY WORK IF YOU NEED TO, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER OBLIGATIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. IN ORDER TO HELP. PROVIDE AN EDUCATION INTO NURSING THE WEEKEND PROGRAM, WHICH IS FRIDAY, SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS ALLOWS THAT FLEXIBILITY FOR STUDENTS TO GO OUT THERE AND HAVE THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO DO, TAKE CARE OF FAMILY AND ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF IS THERE WITH THE SHORTER TIME FRAME THAT ALLOWS US TO GET YOU READY AND OUT INTO THE NURSING WORLD, TAKING CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY, HEALTH CARE NEEDS. AND LIKE YOU SAID, LESS THAN 15 MONTHS. SO IS THE ABILITY TO JUST KEEP ON GOING TO SCHOOL AND DOING WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF DOING WHILE STILL TAKING CARE OF THE OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES. >> SO IT'S INCREDIBLE. AND NOW I READ THAT THIS PROGRAM IS ALREADY IN PLACE AT YOUR TAMPA, ORLANDO AND YOUR CENTRAL PASCO CAMPUSES. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT KIND OF RESULTS HERE SEEING OVER THERE? >> YES, SO IT IS ALREADY IN PLACE AND MULTIPLE OTHER RESCUES IN CAMPUSES AND THE RESULTS WERE SEEN AS THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO GO OUT AND TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY'S HEALTH CARE NEEDS IN A QUICKER FASHION AND ALLOWING THEM TO ALSO CONTINUE WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THEY HAVE IN THE WORLD TO DO. WE KNOW IT'S A BUSY LIFESTYLE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. SO HELPING OTHERS FIND THAT. DOOR TO MAKING THEIR DREAMS COME TRUE IN A SHORTER TIME FRAME PERMITS US TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY OUT. PM PROGRAM, ALONG WITH ALL OF OUR OTHER PROGRAMS IS HERE TO ADDRESS THOSE SHORTAGES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. HEALTH CARE NEEDS AND THE ABILITY TO DO IT IN A FASHION THAT HELPS OUR. STUDENTS GET OUT THERE SOONER IS A WIN-WIN FOR US ALL THE WAY AROUND. >> AND YOUR PRACTICAL NURSING DIPLOMA PROGRAMS. ACCESSIBILITY GOES BEYOND JUST THESE FRIDAY TO SUNDAY CLASSES YOU OFFER ONLINE AND IN-PERSON OPTIONS WITH 8 DIFFERENT START DATES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND NO PREREQUISITE COURSES NEEDED. HE TOLD ME HOW THIS HELPS YOUR STUDENTS SUCCEED. >> YES, IT GIVES THEM A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY AND ALLOWS OUR STUDENTS TOO, DO WHAT THEY NEED TO FOR HOME. BUT IT ALSO GIVES THEM THE FLEXIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN MEET ALL THE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOL BETWEEN GOING TO CLASSES STUDYING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE GET INTO THOSE CLINICAL SETTING. SO THEY GET THAT HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH PATIENTS. IT ALLOWS OUR STUDENTS TOO. LET'S JUST SAY, BE ON THE TOP OF THEIR GAME AT ALL TIMES AND PROVIDES THEM THE MEANS TO GO OUT THERE AND TAKE CARE OF THE PATIENTS THAT THEY'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO TAKE CARE OF. >> YEAH. AND THEN WE SAW THE FLORIDA CENTER FOR NURSING PREDICTED THAT THE NURSING WORKFORCE WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO MEET 55% OF DEMAND IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS. IF THE CURRENT TRENDS WE'RE SEEING CONTINUE, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS CAUSING THIS NURSING SHORTAGE? >> YOU KNOW, I WISH I KNEW THE ANSWERS TO WHAT WAS CAUSING IT IS WHO WE CAN ADDRESS ALL OF IT. BUT THE NURSING SHORTAGE. THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS. AND IF YOU LOOK INTO THE STATISTICS, WE HAVE A LARGER OLDER POPULATION, NOT JUST IN FLORIDA, BUT ALSO ACROSS THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S A CHALLENGING FIELD, BUT IT IS TOTALLY WORTHWHILE TO THE END AS WE GET TO HELP ALL THOSE PEOPLE AND EVERYTHING THEY DO. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS. IT'S A UNFORTUNATELY PART OF THE WAY HEALTHCARE GO SOMETIMES AND AS WE CONTINUE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES BY GETTING STUDENTS TO SCHOOL AND A MORE TIMELY MANNER. THE OUR COMMUNITY CAN REAP THE BENEFITS. >> AND THEN I READ THAT THE UNITED STATES WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE LARGEST POPULATION OF AMERICANS OVER 65 IN HISTORY. LIKE YOU ARE SAYING THIS AGING POPULATION IS REALLY MORE NURSES. HOW IF YOU SEEN THIS MOUNTING NEED FOR HEALTH SERVICES IMPACT YOUR SCHOOL? >> THE NEED FOR HEALTH SERVICES AS IT'S GOING TO HAVE A HUGE IMPACT, NOT JUST ON OUR SCHOOLS NURSING PROGRAMS AS WE STRIVE TO MEET OUR NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY. NOT ONLY BY PRODUCING NUMBERS BUT COMPETENT, COMPASSIONATE NURSES. SO HAVING PROGRAMS LIKE OUR LPN PROGRAM, WHERE IS GOING TO BE JUST SAY 3 DAYS A WEEK WE CAN GET YOU THROUGH AND AS LITTLE AS 15 MONTHS AND GET YOU OUT THERE WORKING, WE CAN HELP MEET THOSE NEEDS A LOT FASTER >> YOU KNOW, I WISH MY COLLEGE WAS THAT ADAPTABLE, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IS WITH ALI. THANK YOU. >> AND COMING OFF, KATE'S REPORTING ON THE NURSING SHORTAGE HERE, SOME MORE ON THE IMPORTANCE AND HISTORY OF THE PROFESSION FROM THE WGCU NEWS FROM FOR TONIGHT. AND GAIL ESTABLISHED THE WORLD'S FIRST PROFESSIONAL NURSING SCHOOL. THAT WAS IN 18, 60. IT WAS LOCATED AT THE MIKE IN GALLE TRAINING SCHOOL FOR NURSES. THAT'S SAINT THOMAS HOSPITAL IN LONDON. AND YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH ALL OUR COVERAGE AND HEALTH CARE AND DEVELOPMENTS IN MEDICINE BY LOGGING ONTO