Demand for Nurses Increases
By: Sophie Nielsen-Kolding WMBD/WYZZ-TV
Updated: February 5, 2013
PEORIA- While employment numbers might look dim, the job outlook for nurses remains high, and might even be getting better.
Linda Helle is the Patient Care Manager at OSF Saint Francis Medical center and said she's seeing a demand in Central Illinois.
"I think the need for nurses right now is greater because the baby boomers such as myself, although I'm the younger end of the baby boom, have reached the age where, you know, we're starting to live longer we're starting to have health care needs," Helle said.
Helle said at OSF there are constantly nursing jobs to fill.
"I hired seven people on Friday because I had seven people who left the unit to go to the RNA program, the nurse antithesis program," Helle said.
Luckily there is a supply to meet that demand and nursing programs are filled to the max. Angie Thoerner went through OSF's nursing school.
"Mostly the competitiveness in this area, in our region at least is about the programs not quite large enough for the number of people interested," Thoerner said.
Thoerner said nursing is an attractive career, so attractive she left her sales job at the age of 29 to be an RN.
"You love kids, you can work with kids, not even just sick kids. You are really about disease or trauma, you can find somethign specifically tailored to what you enjoy," Thoerner said.
Helle said nurses can get to work with just 2-year degree. And the pay isn't bad either.
"I think it's 22 dollars and some odd cents per hour for an entry level registered nurse," Helle said.
So whether Thoerner is checking heart monitors delivering lunch, she said she plans to stick with this job. The need for healthcare isn't going anywhere.
Comments
Very nice topic! But Linda said she hired new nurses because they left to go to CRNA program, the nurse anesthetist program. Thanks!
Chan R.
February 6, 2013 at 9:28 pm
