Mississippi State Senator Chad McMahan told reporters that the Senate Health Committee has held hearings discussing the possibility of relaxing some regulations to allow qualified nursing students to begin working in clinical situations with proper supervision.
On tuesday, mississippi state senator chad mcmahan told reporters that the senate health commity has held hearings discussing the possibility of relaxing some regulations to allow qualified nursing students to begin working in clinical situations with proper supervision.
As the nation-wide healthcare shortage continues...wcbi news reporter stephen pimpo sat down with a local nursing student today about her experience preparing to join the fight against covid-19.
"he'll come home from work and he'll say, 'man, we needed you today.'
And i'll say, 'put me in coach, i'm ready."
That's what mississippi university for women senior taylor dodson says her father jokingly tells her coming home from his job as an icu nurse...but the fact is...he's right.
As hospitals across the country search for solutions to the healthcare worker shortage during the covid-19 pandemic...one option being discussed in mississippi is increasing the role of qualified medical students.
"we've been working on some innovative solutions of how we can allow that skilled individual to work up to their capabilities although they might not be licensed but appropriately supervised."
Su: the nursing program at the mississippi university for women was recently ranked #1 in the state and top 10 in the country.
Dodson is one of the muw students in that program who will become a registered nurse after graduating next semester.
"i'm not exactly sure where i'm going to be working but i am just so ready to have the opportunity to serve my community since there is such a shortage right now."
Dodson has done clinical rotations at baptist memorial hospital - golden triangle and north mississippi medical center, where she has been responsible for total care for a non-covid patient, from turning their beds to administering medication...all under propper supervision.
"our goal as students was to go in and really care for those patients and do as much as we could to really relieve some of the workload from the nurses on the floor."
Just months away from entering the nursing field...dodson says the coronavirus has not dampened her resolve.
"the pandemic has really only highlighted that calling more for me, so i'm really excited."
In columbus...stephen pimpo...wcbi news.
Senator mcmahan says the policies on nursing students would be on a case by case basis and that there are ongoing discussions between various hospitals and nursing schools as to what they would be comfortable