01-05-2025
WVU Tech seeking new ways to populate nursing positions
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — West Virginia is known for its beauty, scenery and the good hearted citizens that populate it. On the flip-side of that coin, the population is aging quickly.
According to The Robert Graham Center, West Virginia will need to increase by 190 medical providers, or 14%, to keep up with population demand by 2030.
WVU Tech is seeking to combat the nursing shortage here in the Mountain State. In the past few years, the Nursing Program has begun using incentives to populate their classrooms.
One of these incentives is waiving the NCLEX fee for those who successfully pass their first attempt.
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'The testing fee is $200, and if they pass that licensure exam on their first attempt, then will reimburse them that $200. So that's been really effective for us and it's a great kind of start for the nurses,' said Hilllary Parcell, the CBSN Program Chairperson.
Parcell said that the class size for the Nursing Program at WVU Tech has grown by around 5 students per year since the COVID pandemic.
Parcell said that choosing the best college and asking questions for prospecting future nurses is the first step.
'Researching your work and nursing programs, you're wanting to look at things like who are we seeing on campus who won't be going far away from home? What are some area resources? Scholarships. Also things like the NCLEX that you want to make sure you're going to the school that's accredited and has a good NCLEXpass rate. Those kinds of things,' said Parcell.
How West Virginia's aging population affects the nursing shortage
The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission offers up to $40,000 in loan forgiveness to medical students who agree to practice in state.
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