UIS Helps Alleviate Nursing Shortage
Illinois has a nursing shortage. To help meet this shortage, in 2014 the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing worked with UIS and Memorial Health System to launch a nursing program here in Springfield. Students take pre-nursing classes at UIS, and then apply to complete two more years at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing, Springfield Regional Campus, with classes held at UIS and clinical work at Memorial Hospital.
Twelve nurses graduated from the program in 2018, the first graduates from the program. This year, 24 more nurses will graduate, and 65% say they plan to stay in Springfield.*
Darlene Steinkamp is one of the students completing her nursing program this May. "It's really hard coursework," she says, "but at the end of the day, it's important to know all this because we are taking care of lives."
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*See "Illinois lawmakers trying to find solution to nurse shortages," by Katie Bandish, NewsChannel20 (2/27/2019).
