Students can apply for $40,000 for 4 semesters of tuition at Grand Valley State University, Cornerstone University, Calvin University, or Montcalm Community College.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — There aren’t enough nurses to care for patients in western Michigan. A recent report reveals that one-third of registered nurses are considering another career, and many have left the field since the pandemic began.
To address the nursing workforce shortage, Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services is partnering with four West Michigan colleges to invest in the future, through the Pine Rest Academy for Nursing Students. The psychiatric care facility hopes to attract more students to nursing and field programs by helping with tuition.
“We currently have 40 nursing positions open,” Chief Operating Officer Bob Nykamp said. “And so until we can really meet the nursing needs of the community, I think access will continue to be a concern.”
Through Pine Rest Academy, nursing students can apply to receive $10,000 per semester, or $40,000 in total towards their tuition at Grand Valley State University, Cornerstone University, Calvin University, or at Montcalm Community College. Applicants must already be accepted into one of these schools and can be new or existing students.
Under the program, students will work part-time at Pine Rest while attending school, then full-time for two years after graduation.
“We really wanted to get to the root of the problem, which is that there just aren’t enough nurses,” Nykamp said.
At Calvin University, at least six undergraduate students per year may be eligible. Dean of the School of Health Dr Adejoke Ayoola says the nursing shortage is a combination of nurses retiring from the baby boomer generation and burnout over the past few years. last three years.
“We have seen that some nurses, they leave the profession, they change or take a break, because the pandemic forces them to work a lot, even to work overtime, just to meet the needs of clients,” she says.
At GVSU, 36 students in the next three years can be part of this program. Those who are eligible come from the university’s second degree program, which may face additional financial barriers.
“Students who already have an existing degree often already have student debt. And because they are a bit more mature than our traditional undergraduate students, they will often have other financial responsibilities,” Dr. Lola Coke, acting dean of Kirkhof. College of Nursing at GVSU, says.
For Cornerstone University, Dean of Undergraduate Education Jonathan Marko says this is a great opportunity for seniors.
“That stress of trying to get a job, although there are quite a few of them in West Michigan, it’s just an opportunity for them to really get started,” he says.
Pine Rest hopes to expand to other schools in western Michigan.
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