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If you want to report for work right after graduation, go to nursing school.

Vicki Meek, chairwoman of the nursing department at William Jewell College, said the school had a 100 percent job placement rate for its nursing graduates.

According to Meek, William Jewell graduates about 65 nurses a year — approximately 30 in the accelerated-track nursing program and 35 in the traditional, four-year nursing program.

Meek said they do limit the number of students they can take because of a shortage of faculty and lack of space. She said the 12-month accelerated program is for those who already have a bachelor’s degree and have taken the prerequisite classes.

Matt Smithmier, director of public relations and marketing for Liberty Hospital, said the hospital is always looking for nurses.

“We have some open positions right now,” he said.

Smithmier said while the economy was keeping many people in their current jobs, nurses with specialized skills such as in the emergency room, ICU, pediatrics and surgery were particularly in demand.

“Other high-demand positions are in occupational therapy, physical therapy and pharmacy,” Smithmier said. “There is always a lot of competition for those candidates.”

With the unemployment rate hovering at 10 percent, President Barack Obama, Gov. Jay Nixon and Liberty Mayor Greg Canuteson have all made job creation a top priority.

“We want to bring high-quality, high-paying jobs to Liberty,” Canuteson said. “This is not going to happen overnight.”

Those future jobs are in bioscience, high tech and health care, the mayor said.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in health care are anticipated to grow by 22 percent in less than a decade, outpacing all other sectors. Jobs in health care are forecast to make up seven of the 20 fastest growing occupations, according the agency’s Web site.

A spokesman for Nixon’s office said the governor recognized the need to partner with institutions of higher learning to train people for emerging jobs, including in the health care industry.

Late last year, Nixon met with university officials and students to discuss his Caring for Missourians program, designed to train doctors, nurses, dentists and pharmacists at four-year universities and hundreds of other medical professionals at two-year institutions.

In his recent State of the State address, Nixon focused on a three-pronged 2010 jobs initiative. The package contains three major components, according to a press release:

• Missouri First would help existing businesses expand and create new jobs.

• Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act would help attract new science and technology companies to the state.

• Training for Tomorrow is a job-training program at community colleges, geared to preparing Missouri residents for high-demand positions such as nursing aides and laboratory technicians.

CHECK OUT NURSING

Maple Woods Community College is hosting a Nursing Night in the Campus Center Arbor Room from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 22. Ten area nursing programs will be providing information about scholarships, financial aid, prerequisite courses and career expectations. The event is free, but registration is required by calling 604-3077 by Monday, Feb. 8.

Liberty Editor Angie Anaya Borgedalen can be reached at 781-4941 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Comments (1)

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Nursing Degree Online - RN to BSN
written by Nursing Degree Online, February 05, 2010

So I was reading in the bureau of labor statistics that the healthcare industry is basically going to dominate the job market for the next couple years. So I totally agree with this article.

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