[Nursing News]

Finding tomorrow’s nurses today
Mount Vernon News, OH - 55 minutes ago
... She said her club was different than the new club, because nurses had fewer career options then, but the idea of introducing young women to nursing was the same ...

HOWARD — The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced in 2005 that 1.2 million new and replacement nurses would be needed and 703,000 new registered nurse positions would be created by 2014. Those new R.N. positions will amount to two-fifths of all new jobs in health care fields.

Not being willing to wait until a pending shortage turned into a crisis, the nursing leadership at Knox Community Hospital decided to do something about it.

The Future Nurses Club was, said Jackie Johnson, R.N., KCH staff nurse and co-advisor to the East Knox club, “Sandy Beidelschies’ brainchild. She is the driving force.”

Beidelschies is vice president of Patient Care Services at KCH.

Beidelschies had the idea because she joined a similar club when she attended Upper Sandusky High School. She said her club was different than the new club, because nurses had fewer career options then, but the idea of introducing young women to nursing was the same.

“I discussed the idea with other nursing leaders,” said Beidelschies, “then I formulated some conceptual ideas and took them to a school superintendents’ meeting. Based on their feedback, we formed the club.”

The club’s kickoff meetings were held in August at the hospital for students and parents. More than 60 students have become members, all girls at this time, although the club welcomes boys and encourages their participation in both the club and a nursing career.

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