BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — Ferris State University (FSU) announced Wednesday that it is expanding its nursing program to address a projected nursing shortage.
The American Association of Colleges Nursing is projecting that there will be a shortage of registered nurses as more of the Baby Boomer generation begins showing a greater need for healthcare.
FSU is launching a third cohort in its prelicensure program, expanding the program from 64 to 96 annual nursing students.
“Ferris Nursing has a long history of producing highly qualified nurses for Michigan’s healthcare workforce. It is difficult to access healthcare services in West Michigan without running into a Ferris Bulldog making a difference in the community,” said Lincoln Gibbs, dean of Ferris’ College of Health Professions. “However, the recent pandemic has significantly strained the nursing workforce, causing staffing shortages in Michigan hospitals throughout the state.”
FSU's nursing program is five semesters, including summer classes, which makes it a faster route to completion than many other schools in the state.
The new cohort will also be used as an opportunity by the university to recruit Black students into the program and work to diversify the nursing workforce.
“Not only will we increase the supply of highly qualified BSN-prepared nurses to work the front-line in the state, but we are making intentional efforts to recruit underrepresented high school and college students to the profession,” he said. “In partnership with the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute’s (GRAAHI) ‘Pathways to Healthcare’ initiative, the College of Health Professions at Ferris State University aims to recruit, educate and graduate a diverse student body to join Michigan’s healthcare workforce, especially in Nursing. We expect our first college GRAAHI cohort to begin their studies this fall (2022).”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects over 175,000 openings for registered nurses each year through 2029, with the entire workforce growing from 3 million to 3.3 million by the end of the decade.
Visit the School of Nursing in the College of Health Professions at Ferris State University for more information.
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