The nursing boom

The economy is struggling, companies are closing, and jobs are being lost. However, the health care industry is continuing to boom.

More students want to enter the health care field, and more qualified workers are needed. The problem is there is a limited amount of space and resources to teach them, which is a problem local schools are addressing.

Uriah Duong has degrees in political science and biology, but despite his education, he says it is still hard to find a job. He then decided to go back to school for radiology. “I like the job security that comes along with radiology. My friend graduated from this program and has a job and really enjoys it.”

Cape Fear Community College Health Science and Nursing Department Chair, Regina McBarron, said that job security is a sure thing in the health care field. “Health care is always going to be in demand. People will always be sick. We have an increasing retiring population in south eastern North Carolina.”

According to the UNC Wilmington Nursing School Dean, there is an 8% vacancy across the state in nursing alone, and getting the training to fill those vacancies is not easy.

To meet this demand, there is a bond referendum on the November ballot that if passed, will help CFCC fund a new health sciences building.

UNC Wilmington just broke ground on its new 80,000 square foot nursing building. Local hospitals hope the expanded programs will train enough qualified health care professionals to fill their growing needs.

The UNC Wilmington nursing building is set to be complete by August 2010. Health science professors say there will be plenty of jobs in the future of health care as the population continues to rise and baby boomers age, retire and need more assistance.