LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — May 6 – 12, 2024, is Nurse Week, and several areas across the country are still dealing with nursing shortages. CHI Saint Joseph Health is partnering with Lincoln Memorial University to start a new program to attract more nurses.
V.P. of patient care and education and professional practice, Kami Poole-Warder, says, "This provides an opportunity for those that have been able to do some prerequisite work and get them in to bridge over into the BSN program for Lincoln Memorial University."
There's still a nursing shortage across the country. Since CHI, Saint Joseph Health has had a long history with nursing schools, and now it's opening up office spaces for 40 students.
Poole-Warder says, "You have to enjoy working with people and want to be able to help."
For about the last 25 years, rooms on the fourth floor of the D-building have been used as offices. Now, the spaces are being transformed into classrooms, labs, and simulation areas.
Employees here know this is a tough profession. Poole-Warder says, "The pandemic sort of brought a new light to things."
She explained that it's a profession that you have to be passionate about. Poole-Warder’s been in the field since she was a teen. She enjoys caring for others, and she wants these students to be passionate about it when they start this fall. "Always wanting to give is probably the biggest thing."
Students will get hands-on experience in this program's simulation lab, which is also open to anyone who needs more training.
COO and chief nurse executive Dr. Melissa Bennett says, "We are bringing together Nurses at the front line and technical staff to discuss how we can work better as a team to give the best care to our patients and the bedside."
The new program will also attract students from Kentucky State University and invest $2.5 million in tuition assistance. It also wants to target younger people and get them interested in the work early.
Dr. Bennett says, "We've worked hard to get into schools, high schools, middle schools, and helping the students understand what health care might mean.”
They want to find more people that are excited to learn. They want them to have a passion about the care they'll offer.
