Nursing Programs Offered For Displaced Autoworkers In Michigan

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 21 Feb 2007 - 6:00 PDT

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Universities and hospitals in Michigan have begun to offer accelerated nursing programs that target displaced autoworkers to help address a "nursing shortage that will only worsen in the next decade," the Detroit News reports. Jeanette Kelmczak, the chief nursing executive for Michigan, said that the state will have a shortage of 7,000 nurses by 2010 and that the shortage will increase as many nurses retire in the next 20 years. Between 2001 and 2006, about 92,200 autoworkers in Michigan lost their jobs, according to state data. University of Michigan economists Joan Crary, George Fulton and Saul Hymans estimate that an additional 44,900 autoworkers in the state will lose their jobs between 2006 and 2008. Over the past two years, Michigan has awarded $20 million to fund accelerated nursing programs, and the state this year plans to award an additional $10 million. Last month, Beaumont Hospitals and Michigan State University held an informational session on accelerated nursing programs for displaced workers with bachelor's degrees. The Oakwood Healthcare System also contacted the human resources departments at GM and Ford about similar informational sessions in December 2006 and January 2007. In addition, Oakland University and the Henry Ford Health System have partnered to develop an accelerated nursing program specifically for displaced Ford workers. The program will offer two tracks: one for displaced Ford workers without college degrees through which they can obtain nursing degrees in three years, rather than four; and one for workers with bachelor's degrees (Kosmetatos, Detroit News, 2/15).

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