Celebrate health care workers during Nurses Week, May 6-12, and encourage a new generation of nurses.
Tennessee Voices: Meet nurse and health care entrepreneur Erica Pahua
Erica Pahua, registered nurse and owner of Interim Healthcare of Montgomery County, spoke with Tennessee Voices video show host David Plazas.
- Stephanie Wise is division chief nursing executive for HCA Healthcare TriStar Division
The caring actions of one person changed my life in the seventh grade: a nurse.
The experience of watching who I believed to be an angel, care for my grandfather, solidified my calling in life. I knew then I wanted to become a nurse.
Today, I lead the HCA Healthcare TriStar Division as the executive chief nursing officer. I am privileged to mentor the next generation of nurses, many of whom will become nurse leaders, educators, and advanced practitioners. In my role, I also have a responsibility to usher in the next generation of nurses.
As we celebrate Nurses Week May 6 to 12, I am honored to work alongside thousands of nurses who combine clinical expertise and compassion to deliver excellent healthcare to our patients.
Many of our nurses have a similar story to mine – an early experience that led them to pursue a career caring for patients in their most vulnerable moments.
What other states can teach Nashville about solving the nursing shortage
Despite a national nursing shortage, I believe we can inspire future generations to pursue nursing as a career. One solution exists right here in our Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) system. We can offer MNPS students exposure, education, and an expedited nursing career through a proven opportunity called Nurses Middle College.
Broadly, the U.S. faces a series of trends that have chipped away at a once-strong nursing workforce, ranging from pandemic woes to mass retirements.
The American Nursing Association estimates that more than a million nurses must join the workforce to prevent a full-fledged shortage.
Meanwhile, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing is working mightily to address a lack of representation in nursing and the changing demographics of our country.
Finding and developing one million individuals for a nursing career, let alone a diverse body of individuals requires earlier exposure to nursing within the academic experience.
Rhode Island saw this same problem coming down the pike almost 13 years ago. Public officials, health care leaders, nurses, and parents worked together to develop the Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College Charter High School as part of the public school system. This 9-12 high school was complementary to existing public school efforts within Rhode Island to provide students with career-based learning opportunities.
Other states are putting this same model in place, and we have the chance to bring the same common-sense approach to the MNPS system through a Nurses Middle College Nashville.
Metro Nashville Public Schools are training the nurses of the future
Nurses Middle College works with diverse and underserved communities to offer a high school experience where students are gainfully employed as Certified Nursing Assistants after the age of 16 on a part-time basis.
Nurses Middle College students have access to direct admission into nursing programs at local universities and have the opportunity to finish a program more prepared and ready to serve.
Like Rhode Island, MNPS has complementary programming to expose students to health care careers through the Academies of Nashville.
Nurses Middle College Nashville doubles down on these critical career pathway efforts and benefits our students, MNPS system, and nursing workforce.
I am hopeful our Nashville community will have the same collaboration by public officials, parents, health care and education leaders to strengthen our public school system and greenlight Nurses Middle College Nashville.
Nashvillians will graciously thank their nurses this week, but they should also hold open the door for students who will be part of the future nursing workforce.
This Nurses Week, I invite you to sign on and join me in supporting Nurses Middle College Nashville as a worthy member of our MNPS system.
Stephanie Wise is division chief nursing executive for HCA Healthcare TriStar Division