UNMC offers local high school students reserved nursing spots with new program
Nebraska’s rural communities are facing a projected shortage of health care providers, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center is trying to build its nursing pipeline by giving local high school students a chance to earn a reserved spot in its nursing program.
Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, said the shortage of nurses is especially concerning in the state.
“Nebraska is down about 6700 nurses across the state. And that shortage is really more severe in western Nebraska, in the Panhandle. And that really does impact access to health care within our communities,” Sharp-McHenry said.
To bring more young people into the profession, the College of Nursing signed memorandums of understanding with schools in Kearney and Lexington on Tuesday that allow qualified students to reserve a seat in UNMC’s nursing program.
Sharp-McHenry said nursing schools can be extremely competitive and intimidating for some students, and she hopes the agreements will encourage more rural high schoolers to consider nursing.
“They may think that that opportunity is beyond them. So I think one of the jobs that we are really working to do is to really improve that communication, increasing the visibility of our program and removing barriers that might prohibit students from considering moving into nursing as a profession,” Sharp-McHenry said.
Kearney High and Kearney Catholic were among the schools to join the program. Kearney Superintendent Jason Mundorf said many students want to stay local for their careers and education.
“They love Kearney. They grew up here. They want to continue and be in college here. And so for especially those students, I think that UNK is a very attractive option in the nursing program,” Mundorf said.
Three Kearney students signed letters of intent for UNMC on Tuesday, including 17-year-old Kearney High student Addisyn Rickard. Rickard said she has wanted to be a nurse for years.
“Yes. Ever since Doc McStuffins, I’ve loved nursing. My grandma was a nurse, and so I’ve got a lot of Intel on that. And I’ve always just loved the thought of helping people out,” Rickard said.
Rickard, a junior who will graduate at the end of the year, said she had been stressed about whether she could continue her higher education in Kearney and felt relieved when she found the program.
“I was super nervous. You know, junior grad, I don’t have many friends who are doing that either. So I was nervous. I didn’t really know who to talk to, but my counselors at Kearney High were really amazing with helping me get my signed up for scholarships and everything like that,” she said.
UNMC’s Kearney nursing program currently has 157 students, and the UNMC program overall has more than 1,000 students across five campuses.
Rickard said she feels pressure to be a role model for her family as she moves into the next stage of her life, but is excited to chase her dream.
“Im the oldest of two younger sisters, and I have a bunch of siblings. I just want to be a great older sister that they can look up to. And I’m very excited that I get to be that person.” she said.
The students who reserved a spot will be able to join the College of Nursing once they complete necessary prerequisites in science, math and liberal arts outside of UNMC.