"We need nurses" was the rallying cry among 14 of the region's top hospitals and health care organizations at the recent Nursing Career Fair at Lander University.
It's a call to action that won't dissipate soon. South Carolina is among the nation's top four states projected to have a deficit of 10,000 or more nurses by 2030, according to a study by the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis.
Geriatric nursing is a field of particular need, said Caleb Polatty of Wesley Commons in Greenwood, which focuses on senior care. "Nurses are critical for the aging population. It's a concern statewide, nationally and globally."
A graduate of Lander's health care management program, Polatty said Lander's nursing graduates can have careers as nurse managers at Wesley Commons. "We value the quality of the nursing graduates that Lander provides."
Bon Secours, which has two hospitals in Greenville, also draws on the talent of Lander's nursing program. Lindsey Teal Davis earned her nursing degree from Lander in 2015. Today, she is the director of the Bon Secours surgical floor. "The four-year degree program at Lander gives you the academic background that you need for your career, along with the critical thinking skills," Davis said.
Nursing senior Kelsey Fandrich, of Easley, will begin her externship in surgery at Bon Secours on June 2. The eight-week program, she said, will give her more experience when she returns to class in the fall and will be vital to her future career when she graduates in December. "I want to be able to help people through difficult times."
In nearby Augusta, Ga., the need is acute as well. "Yes, we need nurses. Lots of them," said Barbara Estes of the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center. Today's nursing students have numerous career opportunities within the VA, along with the opportunity to make a difference in our veterans' lives."
More than 200 students nursing students were invited to the recruiting fair, organized by the Office of Career Services and William Preston Turner School of Nursing. "We worked with students and faculty for the event so that students would have resumes completed and be dressed professionally and feel prepared," said Amanda Morgan, director of Career Services. "We want them to succeed."