UK College Of Nursing Dean Says Efforts Underway To Increase Student Numbers

The below story was posted by Stu Johnson for WEKU.  Click here to view the full story and interview. 

The dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Kentucky says her College saw one of, if not the, largest class of applicants for this year.  And that’s coming out of a highly stressful period for those in healthcare.  

In fact, Janie Heath said a typical class of 200 students is expected to be about 240 this fall.   Heath said some nurses stayed on longer than they intended because of the great need during a peak of the pandemic.  When case numbers fell, she said there were some resignations and retirements. “At that point we thought we were turning the corner and seemed really great and they have decided now is the time that they’re going to go ahead and go forward with their retirement or go forward with other opportunities and boom, daggum, if we’re not looking at another surge right in front of us again,” said Heath. 

Heath said there have been some nursing faculty losses with ten resignations this summer.  She noted all but two positions have been filled and those are pending.

Governor Beshear last week mentioned during a briefing that the state was short by about 6000 nurses.  Taking into account needs all across the state, Heath said that figure sounds realistic.