INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — May is National Nursing Month. This day is a time to thank health-care workers, encourage people to play their part, and highlight the need for more nurses as the shortage continues to grow.
Dr. Jennifer Embry is chief health officer and clinical professor at the IU School of Nursing. She joined Daybreak on Monday to discuss her future nursing opportunities.
IU began the Wellness Officer role in August 2023 to highlight the need for nurse care. “Dean Robin Newhouse felt we needed to be strategic about how to support our nurses, taking into consideration the health status of our staff, faculty, and students,” Embry said.
“So when they entered the workplace, and when they entered the clinical setting, they were able to deal with everything that happened. But they were able to take care of themselves first. ”
Wellness has gained attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has caused burnout among nurses, exacerbating a decline in the workforce that was already expected to decline due to an aging workforce.
“As far as the industry goes, things are tough,” Embry said. “We still need nurses. But we need nurses to take care of themselves first so they can take care of the public and take care of patients. Nurses are everywhere. Everything. nurses are leaders because people are everywhere, they improve outcomes everywhere, they do what they can to improve people’s health and well-being, and they support people where they need support. .”
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there will be an average of 193,100 registered nurse (RN) job openings per year by 2032.
“The role is different for each nurse,” Embry said. “It might be at the bedside, it might be in acute care long-term care, it might be in an outpatient setting,” Embry said. You could be in a clinic, you could do research, you could be a chief health officer, you could lead an association, you could lead a health system by doing supply chain management. They are leaders, and our nurses are all over the state, the Midwest, and actually all over the world.”
IU offers a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, an accelerated BSN program, an RN to BSN program, and a graduate program. IU’s program is said to be the top-ranked in Indiana and the only school in the state to be ranked in the top 50.
Learn more about IU’s School of Nursing here.
