Nursing programs offer ample job opportunities for graduates

Anyone considering a career in nursing can look forward to plenty of employment opportunities, but getting into nursing school isn't as easy as it once was. Applicants to nursing school are divided fairly equally between students just out of high school and the non-traditional student looking at nursing as a second career, said Karen Hendrickson, a nursing administrator at Southeast Hospital's College of Nursing and Health Sciences. At the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, a student can earn an associate degree. Southeast Missouri State University offers a bachelor's degree in nursing. RNs with an associate degree or with a bachelor's degree take the same licensure test, Hendrickson said.

Even though there is a shortage of nurses on a national, and even an international, level, local nursing programs have no shortage of qualified applicants to their programs, many of whom are looking to nursing as a second career for its stability.

"These individuals are applying with a college degree as part of their background, a significantly higher GPA (grade point average) and learning experience," Hendrickson said. "That makes it more difficult to be accepted into nursing programs."

"There was a time when there was not a tremendous number of people interested in nursing in general, but that has really changed," said Carol Kranawetter, director of the nursing program at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center.

Hendrickson said Southeast Hospital opened the College of Nursing opened in 1990 right after Southeast Missouri State University closed its associate degree program, leaving only the bachelor's degree in nursing program.

"With Cape Girardeau being such a significant medical center with two hospitals and five surgi-centers, it became a concern to many that we were not going to be able to meet the nursing need," she said.

The Technical and Career Center offers a one-year LPN program during the day, and a two-year evening program which is in its third year and always filled to its 28-student capacity.

Nursing schools are limited in size because of regulations set down by the State Board of Nursing and the lack of qualified faculty.

"We're so fortunate to have excellent instructors," Kranawetter said. "Without exception there is a desire in that individual to teach and work with students. They can make more money someplace else."

In addition to training programs, area community colleges and the university offer bridge programs to help an LPN or other health care employee make the educational transition to the RN program or to assist the RN in earning an advanced degree. Southeast Hospital provides $15,000 for employees to participate, which basically covers the tuition costs, and then recoups the money at the rate of $1.50 an hour when the employees go to work there as RNs, Hendrickson said. Hospitals and other health care facilities whose employees participate will schedule work shifts around classes to accommodate the employees.

"We use it as a long-term recruitment tool to have an adequate supply of nurses to take care of the patients who come to us," Hendrickson said.

Saint Francis Hospital is talking about creating a bridge program, said Teri Kreitzer, director of human resources at Saint Francis. An employee survey indicated a strong interest, she said, but for right now that option is still in the talking stage. Saint Francis Hospital does not have a nurse training program, but hires from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences or from the Technical Career Center or the university.

Hendrickson said that locally nurses seem to be satisfied with their jobs and tend to keep them. Southeast Hospital has a vacancy rate of between 2 and 4 percent, while the state average is 11.6 percent. Nationwide, she said, there are more than 120,000 positions available.

"The nursing graduate has a tremendous opportunity to find a job," she said.