Sequel - Fall 2007 - (Page 24) I t’s no secret that graduates from nursing programs are in high demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than two million jobs for nurses in the country and the profession is one of the top 10 occupations with the largest estimated job growth. driving the stereotypical nurse into distant memory. “The nursing industry isn’t what it used to be,” Measom said. “The demand for nurses has created excellent job security and more options for those wishing to excel in the field. It’s a good job, and it’s a secure one.” Job security is exactly what incoming junior Andrew Bambrough, from Vernal, Utah, was looking for when he applied to UVSC’s bachelor degree program in nursing. “At first, I thought I wanted to go into radiology, but after working as an Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for a few years, I was able to see what opportunities there were for nurses. There was more variety of work – it wasn’t monotonous. I also knew that wherever I ended up after I graduated, I would be able to get a job.” Bambrough will start classes this fall as a transfer student, and he’s not worried about the Utah is no exception. In 2005, the Utah Hospital Association reported an estimated 1,400 unfilled nursing positions in Utah’s hospitals. With this kind of demand, hundreds of people throughout the state and country are looking to UVSC for training and education in the industry. And it’s no wonder: results from the latest National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) state report showed that 94 percent of UVSC students within the last year passed the examination. UVSC has the highest average of any school in the state. Currently, UVSC’s nursing program places 100 percent of its graduates in the workforce and the majority of them are staying in Utah. “Since April 2004, we have had 263 graduates take the national exam for nursing,” said Mina Wayman, assistant professor of nursing at UVSC. “Approximately 247 of those graduates (94 percent) applied for licensure in Utah.” That’s a promising number for Utah’s male to female ratio (approximately one third of UVSC’s nursing students are now male). “For a long time nursing was considered a feminine job,” he said. “But more males are looking to nursing because it is a great job. Not only does it pay well, but helping people get better makes you feel as though you really can make a difference in another person’s life. That’s what is most enjoyable for me.” Other male students agree. “The amount of men in the nursing industry is increasing rapidly,” said Regan Palfreyman, a freshman from American Fork, Utah, in UVSC’s nursing program. “And it’s because, as a nurse, there is a lot of flexibility and security. With the nursing shortage, it’s comforting to know I will always have a job – and an added bonus is that it’s a job I find very rewarding.” The variety of work and the interaction with patients is a plus for most in the nursing industry – particularly for people like “Bu I ca sam par “There’s more variety of work – it isn’t monotonous. I also knew that wherever I ended up after I graduated, I would be able to get a job.” health care industry professionals. “UVSC nursing students usually live in Utah and they end up working here,” said Gary Measom, department chair of UVSC’s nursing department. “Our students make a significant impact on the local hospitals. They know that when they hire a UVSC student, the odds are good they’ll stay.” These numbers are what experts say is REGAN PALFREYMAN IS PREPARING TO START HIS FIRST SEMESTER AT UVSC IN THE NURSING PROGRAM. HE BEGAN A CAREER IN CONSTRUCTION, BUT IS NOW PURSUING A NURSING DEGREE BECAUSE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES IT PROVIDES FINANCIALLY AND SOCIALLY. 24 “And it’s because as a nurse there is a lot of flexibility and security. With the nursing shortage, it’s comforting to know I will al always have a job – and an added bonus is that it’s a job I find very rewarding.”
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