The deficiency is part of an ongoing trend.
When Rachel McKeown decided to enter the nursing program at Greenville Technical College (GTC) in upstate South Carolina in 2021, she had no worries about being accepted.
She had proven herself in both the inpatient and outpatient centers of the campus hospital and was in good shape in terms of grades and ability.
What wasn’t in good shape was the number of available slots for qualified nursing students—and McKeown had no choice but to wait and see.
Luckily, everything worked out and she graduated on schedule in December 2024.
But for every Rachel McKeown, there are countless others who have either left the profession, are expected to leave in the coming years, or are likely to be turned away from entering it due to academic funding, limited openings, and availability of instructors.
And in the next decade, in the aftermath of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the nursing shortage is not only…
