Noma
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, William Jewell College
Hometown: Excelsior Springs, MO

We all have heard about the nursing shortage facing our country.  An article dated January 7, 2009 from the Medical News Today reports that a "long-standing" shortage of registered nurses in the U.S. is "expected to worsen" over the next seven years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 233,000 additional jobs for registered nurses will open each year through 2016, in addition to about 2.5 million existing positions.  Several factors contribute to the shortage, including a lack of qualified instructors, decreased funding for training programs and difficult working conditions.

This is where my story begins.  I am a non-traditional nursing student at William Jewell College.  I chose William Jewell College because, unlike many other Kansas City metropolitan area colleges and universities, it was easy to apply and get into the program.  I had tried to apply to many other colleges only to be put on a waiting list for 3 years.  This was frustrating and unrealistic in a climate where nursing shortages are everywhere.

Largely due to the funding from Access Missouri grant, I have been able to attend William Jewell College.  I apply for additional scholarships every semester but have met with disappointing results.  Access Missouri grant has always come to the rescue and has enabled me to stay in college to pursue my goal of being one of the nurses the state of Missouri can count on.

William Jewell College has had a successful NCLEX licensure pass rate of 100% in the last two years.  My fellow nursing students and I count on Access Missouri funding to stay in college.  Limiting access to state financial aid unfairly limits economic opportunities for students from working and lower-income families who seek to realize the dream of a college education.  As a 38 year old single mother of three, I am working hard to get good grades and be a role model for my kids.  Many Access Missouri recipients are people returning to school to advance their careers – I am one of those.

I implore the members of the Missouri General Assembly to abandon any effort to dismantle Access Missouri.  Do not contribute to the nursing shortage facing our nation by decreasing funding for training programs.  Keep Access Missouri in place so that all of us have a chance to fulfill our career goals and meet Missouri's economic needs.