Indianapolis, Indiana – In Indiana, there is a big need for nurses right now. In order to overcome nursing shortages brought on by the pandemic and an aging workforce, one local institution is doing its part to provide extra assistance to the frontlines.
Nursing is taught by Dr. Melvin Bolden at Indianapolis’ Fortis College Institute. He says they’ve seen a recent increase in enrollment and are helping to meet the demand for nurses. Additionally, it will commemorate its seven graduates this Friday in recognition of National Nurses Week.
The Indiana Hospital Association reports that there are around 4,300 nursing positions available annually. By 2031, it predicts that our state would require about 5,000 nurses. According to Dr. Bolden, Fortis College offers accelerated two-year nursing, dental assisting, and medical assisting programs to help students enter the field more quickly. This is done in an effort to satisfy demand.
“As the baby boomer generation is getting older and starting to retire, we need many nurses to fill that void. Many of our students are nontraditional, so they are either working or have other ways, and some may not have been successful in a four-year college, and this is an opportunity, a way for them to get their education,” Bolden said.
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing has granted accreditation to the campus’ nursing program. Through the end of this month, its graduates will continue taking board certification exams.
Some of them, according to Dr. Bolden, already have jobs secured at St. Vincent Hospital.
