There is a critical shortage of nurses in Indiana -- so bad that the university's School of Nursing has created a second degree track to help compensate.
According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the 38,780 nurses employed in Indiana in 2000 fell 10 percent short of the estimated demand of 42,893.
Terry Allen, vice president of Human Resources for Cardinal Health System, said such a prolonged need for nurses helped to spur the idea for the second baccalaureate degree track, a 19-month nursing curriculum with a subsequent national licensure examination.
Allen explained that when Ball State approached CHS for help with the program -- the second of such in the state -- the university needed help with enrollment.
"The university did not need money to run the program -- they needed students," Allen said of the partnership between the nursing school and CHS, a network of hospitals (including Ball Memorial), physician offices, pharmacies, home health services and rehabilitation services in the area.
Siktberg said CHS provides tuition, books, technology fees and health center fees for 10 students from the university who are pursuing the degree in the form of a scholarship. In exchange, these students agree to work with CHS for three years.
Three years is certainly a long commitment to one area. As junior Heather Nelson said, signing up to work for a set time after graduation is a large commitment she is unsure about making.
"It's great for people who need job security," Nelson said. "But I don't want to have to stay in one area."
Despite the drawbacks, the new degree track is a step in the right direction to overcoming the shortage. Once again, Ball State can be a university that addresses problems in Indiana and takes steps to overcome it.
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