SALT LAKE CITY — Nursing looks a little different right now as elective surgeries slow down, school nurses are sent home, and needs shift.
“There are nurses in Utah being laid off, furloughed, ours has decreased,” said Liz Close PHD, RN Exec. Dir. of Utah Nurses Assoc.
Liz Close says there will always be a demand for dedicated healthcare professionals.
“Nurses are there 24/7. Managing care. They’re the ones that are in the room constantly," Close said.
Janine Roberts is a nurse educator at Intermountain healthcare. She says it’s been hard.
“I work in the respiratory ICU so we’re seeing the sickest of the sick patients," Roberts said.
But from thank you notes to snacks, there’s a lot of support from the community, especially inside the hospitals.
“I would not work in this extremely stressful job if it were not for my amazing coworkers. Just wonderful mentors to me,” said Roberts.
It’s too soon to tell whether more people will be inspired to become nurses after this. But there are resources if they are considering it.
“Various CNA programs across Utah vary in length, so if you wanna go full-time and take a few weeks off you can get it done in just a few weeks,” said Jen Wagenaar, Chief Nursing Executive, MountainStar Health.
Wagenaar says MountainStar healthcare can even help with tuition reimbursement and training.
“So if you have that skill set and you’re a compassionate, kind, caring individual who can connect with others, those technical skills will continue to build throughout your nursing career.”
Salt Lake Community College also has a nursing program where you can earn a two year degree. They will start summer classes online on May 18.
For more information on nursing programs in Utah, here are some links:
Mountainstar Healthcare - https://careers.hcahealthcare.com/pages/mountainstar-healthcare?bid=45
Intermountain Healthcare - https://intermountainhealthcare.org/careers/explore-careers/
Salt Lake Community College - http://www.slcc.edu/nursing/index.aspx and http://www.slcc.edu/nursing/hs-nursing-aas_onesheet_final_11-26-19.pdf
FOX 13 wants to help Utahns get back to work, make ends meet and manage the pressure of the coronavirus crisis through personal stories and practical information.
Visit The Rebound home page for complete coverage. You can also get answers to your questions from hundreds of Utahns in The Rebound Facebook Group.