Local Nursing School Recruits Students As Nursing Shortage Continues

ERIE (Erie News Now) – The need for nurses nationwide is greater now than ever, and Wednesday the UPMC Jameson School of Nursing held an Open House.

It comes at a time medical workers are stretched thin, so new faces taking up the career is crucial right now.

“Nurses are very helpful and hands on and I want to do something like that,” Mercedes Vogel, who is applying for nursing school at the UPMC Jameson School of Nursing said.

Vogel recently got a job as a nursing assistant at UPMC Hamot and has seen firsthand the stress and exhaustion the nurses feel every day, which is why she was one of the dozes who attended UPMC Jameson School of Nursing’s open house on Wednesday afternoon.

This was a way for the school to give tours and answer questions for potential students who want to earn a nursing degree like Mercedes.

“I see nurses and how much work they put in and how under-valued they are, so I wanted to become that,” she Vogel said.

Karen Morahan is the Director of the nursing school and has been a nurse for over 30 years.

“It’s the best job you’ll ever have,” she said. “It’s been everything I wanted it to be and nursing is such a diverse calling that you can find your passion in many, many different places.”