Nursing shortage in rural areas

A nursing shortage is affecting hospitals nationally, especially in rural Nebraska, according to the Nebraska Center for Nursing.

The Nebraska Center for Nursing reports there are currently six counties in Nebraska that have no nurses at all.

The nursing shortage is most severe in small towns and rural areas like central Nebraska.

But hospitals are not letting the shortage affect the quality of care they provide.

“There’s always a job for a nurse here. We’re always looking but again it can’t be our total focus. We have to just really look at what we have and make it positive. I do think sometimes all of the talk about the shortage scares people away from the profession,” said VP of Patient Services at CHI Health Good Samaritan Kimber Bonner. 

CHI Health Good Samaritan in Kearney is helping address the issue by working to maximize each position by allowing RNs, CNAs and LPNs to do as much as they can under their license.

“So how do we use CNAs up to their full licensure? How do we use LPNs up to their full licensure? Then having an RN there to kind of oversee them as well as the care of the patient as a whole. Again, it’s team nursing and I think that’s really what it’s about is using everybody to take care of those patients,” said Bonner.

Schools are also working to encourage students into the profession.

Mid-Plains Community College just expanded their program to make room for more students.

“We increased the RN program by eight students and we did that to try to help the shortage that we have in nurses throughout the state and also throughout the nation,” said Director of Nursing Programs at Mid-Plains Community College Kathy Harrison.

Mid-Plains saying it was critical to expand the program and that they’re hoping to expand again in the future to continue addressing the shortage.

“We would like to try to expand the program again but we need more room and more space. They’re looking at possibly adding on to the health and science so that we have enough rooms to have all of the students,” said Harrison.

The Nebraska Center for Nursing says the state’s current shortfall is projected to jump to 20 percent with nearly 4,000 open positions by 2020.