Clarksburg Exponent Telegram
NEWS
GUIDES
NIE
ADS
CIRC.
LINKS
HOME MAIL

TODAY'S
NEWS

LOCAL NEWS
SPORTS
BIRTHS
OBITUARIES
CALENDAR
OPINIONS
COLUMNS
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR


News Search

WEB LINKS
FUN LINKS
Kid Stuff, Museums to visit, Games to play
NEWSPAPERS
IN EDUCATION

For Students and Teachers
NEWS LINKS
Newspapers, Politics, Space, Comics, Weather, Sports, Internet, Lottery
REFERENCE PAGE
Reference Starting Points, Dictionaries, U.S. Government Sources, Other Sites, Universities and Colleges, News
REVIEWS
Books and Music
WEST VIRGINIA LINKS

THIS SITE IS
BEST VIEWED
WITH THE
LATEST VERSION OF:
msexplorer
INTERNET EXPLORER

CORRECTIONS
AND ADDITIONS

Copyright ©
Clarksburg Publishing
Company 2000

Clarksburg
Publishing Company,
P.O. Box 2000,
Clarksburg, WV 26302
USA

CURRENT STORIES


Loss of skilled nursing professionals could be dire

According to a new study by a nursing association, the number of registered nurses serving in a nine-county region of North Central West Virginia will decline by 930 by the year 2008.

The report by the North Central West Virginia Nursing Workforce Network concludes that one in five nurses will leave the profession by 2006 and adds that 2,576 nurses will be employed in Monongalia, Marion, Harrison, Lewis, Upshur, Randolph, Barbour, Taylor and Preston counties by 2008, as compared to 3,231 last year.

Now, that may not seem like a precipitous drop in RNs, but consider the fact that demand for nurses is expected to climb 1.3 percent a year. Many nurses already are working at facilities that are understaffed, and if this report is to be believed, the problem is going to get much worse.

We agree with Catherine Nolan, a researcher at the West Virginia University School of Nursing, who says that unless something is done to supplement those leaving the nursing profession, a serious crisis will develop in health care in our region.

Nolan says educators, administrators and legislators all must identify innovative ways to attract new people into the profession.

Dealing with the impending crisis won't be easy but a start was made in March when Fairmont State College and United Hospital Center in Clarksburg formed a distance-learning project to double training opportunities for students.

In addition,WVU's nursing program will accept 38 percent more students this fall and will give scholarships to top students who agree to work two years at WVU Hospitals.

More incentives for promoting nursing must be found and offered to prospective students. And, retaining nurses is also crucial to keeping this specialized workforce from shrinking even further.

It might be wise if the state steps in and promotes policies that make it easier to train and retain these invaluable health care professionals.

A nursing shortage could have dire consequences for the future of the health care industry in our region. Solutions to this problem can and must be found.

Patrick Martin

SUBSCRIPTION
INFORMATION
(print version)

CLASSIFIED ADS

ADVERTISING
RATES
HARRISON COUNTY
RELOCATION GUIDE
News Search