CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nurses are needed across the lone star state including right here in the Coastal Bend and the Island University is preparing the next generation of nurses.
“We’re very excited because we just graduated 146 students in August and many of them have been placed in hospitals already,” said Dr. Bunny Forgione, Executive Associate Dean for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and Director of Nursing Programs.
“They have jobs many here in the Coastal Bend, but also in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio,”
The fall semester is officially underway at the Island University and they’re preparing more nurses to hit the ground running.
“We are always preparing our students for the demand not only for the Coastal Bend area, also for Texas and the rest of the nation because it is a critical shortage,” said Dr. Forgione.
And although it's a new semester, officials with the university are continuing to navigate through challenges brought by the pandemic
“Even though it’s been challenging it’s been a great opportunity for our students to expand their perceptions, expand their horizons and to realize how crucial nursing is to the healthcare team,” said Dr. Laura Monahan, the Interim Chair of the Department of Women, Children and Family Health Sciences.
Some clinicals calling for different protocols because of the pandemic.
“Well, many hospitals require that students are vaccinated, and they wear masks and it’s really a partnership that we have with our clinical partners because they have certain requirements and we work with them in meeting those requirements,” said Dr. Monahan.
And the university is continuing to make sure that the next generation of nurses are ready for what lies ahead.
“We want to prepare our students as best we can for that transition from a nursing student to a novice nurse to become an expert nurse,” said Dr. Monahan.
Dr. Forgione says nursing students are stepping up to the plate not only in the classroom but also in the community.
“We vaccinated in January and February over 15-thousand people here in the Coastal Bend, so our students and our faculty feel very much that we have a place,” said Dr. Forgione.
“They are constantly volunteering for the community and for the university community so that when they graduate and become registered nurses, they will do that for the communities they are in.”