Georgia is taking bold steps to fight its looming nursing shortageand South Georgia is right at the heart of the effort.
Georgia could face a shortfall of 18,000 nurses by 2037, hitting rural South Georgia especially hard. Wiregrass Tech boasts a 100% job placement rate for RN and LPN graduates, fueled by local healthcare partnerships. Watch the video to see how technical colleges plan on helping the nursing shortage in South Georgia. Wiregrass Tech Expands Nursing Pathways to Tackle Statewide Shortage
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It’s a change that couldn’t come soon enough.
By 2037, Georgia is expected to face a shortfall of more than 18,000 nursesone of the largest in the nation.
That’s especially concerning for rural regions like ours, where hospitals and clinics are already stretched thin.
At Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, leaders say partnerships are what make the difference.
Wiregrass President DeAnnia Clements says hands-on training with community partners is the key to building confident, qualified nurses.
“It’s because of those partnerships that we have with South Georgia Medical Center. It’s because of the partnerships that we have with the offices in our area where they allow our students to be able to go in and get that hands-on practice. It’s that hands-on practice that makes all the difference with making sure that we’re producing qualified, competent nurses.”
With demand so high, Wiregrass is also working to bring more students into these programs.
Jennifer Ray, Dean for Academic Affairs for the Health Sciences Program, says that means hitting the ground in the community to expand recruitment.
“And that is because we are working out there with the recruitment and getting out into the community and making sure that we can get students in because our need is so high and we don’t have enough students to, you know, or graduates to put into the workforce. So we have done multiple ways to expand.”
That investment is paying off. Not only are more students getting opportunities, but Wiregrass also boasts a perfect placement rate.
“We have 100% job placement rate for RN and LPN, whether that is they are transitioning to go back and further their education or they go into the workforce, but we do have 100% job placement rate.”
It’s training that’s not just filling classroomsit’s filling hospital floors with the nurses our community needs most.
In Valdosta, I’m Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
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