BEREA, Ky. (LEX 18) — The healthcare industry has been grappling with a significant shortage of nurses and staff over the past five years.
Athough recent developments suggest some improvement, Berea College's tradition of a no-tuition, work-study program is serving an alternate pipeline for a new generation of nurses.
Ivona Nijimbere, a soon-to-be graduate, expresses her disbelief at the tuition-free promise provided by Berea College.
"When I first heard about Berea, I was flabbergasted. It wasn't something I believed was true," Nijimbere said.
Nijimbere's sentiment is shared among Berea College’s nursing students, who are set to join a workforce still struggling to fill positions.
According to a report by the Kentucky Hospital Association, 27% of critical care nursing positions were vacant in 2021. By 2023, the number dropped to 19%, indicating progress but still showing a shortage of nearly 3,900 registered nurses statewide.
Monica Kennison, the Susan V. Clayton baccalaureate nursing chair at Berea College, emphasized the impact of the college's zero-tuition program in breaking barriers for future nurses, particularly in Eastern Kentucky.
"We give students an opportunity they otherwise wouldn't have," she said, adding that last year's graduates all found employment within six months, with more than three-quarters placed in Kentucky and Appalachia.
Kennison's commitment is echoed by the students, including Nijimbere, who acknowledged the persistent understaffing issues during job interviews.
"Lately, that has been a concern," she said.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated staffing challenges at Kentucky hospitals, but Berea College's approach appears to be successfully fostering a part of the new generation of skilled nurses dedicated to their patients.
"At the end of the day, we all have one common goal and that is to care for the patient," Nijimbere said.
Nijimbere and her peers at Berea College are ready to transition from simulation labs to real-world medical settings, helping address the critical nursing shortage in the region.
