DAYTON, Ohio — Hospitals are now relying on recent graduates to fill nursing shortages, but there is a shortages of students entering the field too.
That’s why one assistant professor is trying something different in her classroom to keep more students in the field and she says it starts with giving thanks.
Cindra Holland is a long-time associate nursing professor at Wright State University in Dayton.
She teaches in classrooms designed to look like a real hospital, but, just like in real hospitals, she said there are fewer students who want to be nurses.
“Not as many. And that is reflective of COVID … we always knew there was going to be a nursing shortage, as the population ages,” said Holland.
With nurses retiring and leaving the field over burnout creating massive shortages, she decided to try something different in her nursing classes.
“I would post something on my PowerPoint and say, what are you thankful for today?” said Holland.
She said when students get back from Christmas break, she’ll continue to include lessons based on what she calls the “gratitude project.” It’s a lesson on giving thanks to reduce stress.
“Focusing more on the positive can turn your mental health around and turn your outlook around and can improve wellness throughout,” said Holland.
She said she hopes that if students can learn simple ways like giving thanks to relieve stress, it’s more likely they’ll go into the field knowing what to do when they’re put to the test in real-life situations.
“What we’re hoping to do is to help nurses be able to be more resilient and to use some of their inner coping skills in order to help them through this situation,” said Holland.
While she said more work needs to be done to fix the overall nursing shortage, she hopes this will be a small part in keeping more nurses.
Holland said nurses already in the field can also use what she’s doing in the classroom.
One of the things she suggests to relieve stress is that nurses write in a journal about positive ways they’ve helped patients.
