Nursing Shortage Has Solutions

Over the weekend the University of Louisville and Owensboro Medical health System in Kentucky announced a collaborative effort to train an additional 40 nurses a year, utilizing distance education.

Last week, we got a phone call in our office from a guy who wants to become a nurse - badly. He says he was one of over 600 people applying to a local nursing school that had 24 openings. And the nursing shortage is near crisis level.

There's simply no rational reason for such a dramatic restriction in the admission to nursing programs, especially today with elearning options.

In the online nursing assistant program we launched July 1, we've had over 150 applicants with minimal publicity. Many of these individuals are anxious to take the first step in their nursing career with this program - and many of them need the flexibility and accessibility that elearning offers.

It's time to blow the doors off the classroom and begin training enough individuals to become nurses that we make a significant difference in the shortage of trained professionals - from the nursing assistant and caregiver level all the way through to the graduate nurse level.

We have the skills. We have the technology. We simply need the focus and the dedication of resources and we can solve this problem today and for the future needs in our country.

New Doors Opening Through e-learning

Our company is on the verge of the formal launch of our online nursing assistant course, in partnership with Oregon Health Care Association. The nursing assistant course is required to become a CNA in Oregon - and, for the first time ever in this state, the OHCA/aQuire course allows the classroom portion of it to be done online. Following the online portion of the course the student completes lab and clinical training at one of 45 participating nursing facilities state-wide. This is by far the largest, most comprehensive nursing assistant course in the state.

We're excited about the potential to train many individuals for this incredibly important work. Already, without any publicity at all, we've gotten dozens of interested individuals who are ready to start today.

Many of them are people who haven't been able to go to a classroom based program because of time or other restrictions. With this new online course, avenues open for them to advance, personally and professionally.

Offering this course online may be one small way we can help with the current nursing shortage. Listen to the comments of some of the individuals who worked hard to find out about this course:

"I am working towards becoming a RN and becoming a CNA is required for most nursing schools."

"I am committed to helping people and also committed to finding a career in the health care field."

"I enjoy working in the medical field. Working hands on offers new experiences daily and a great opportunity to learn. I also get a great personal satisfaction from helping others."

"I am interested in becoming a CNA because I would like to work as an Emergency Room Technician. I believe that the position would give me valuable experience in working as a team with doctors. Eventually, I intend to go to medical school and become a physician."

What an impressive group of individuals, all looking to take the first step in their careers in this field.

What a privilege and an honor to help them achieve their goals, in any way we can.