As Nurses Are in High Demand, Baptist Health’s Career Planning Fair

JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – Demand for nurses is high, and in a week Baptist Health plans to hold a job fair to recruit more people.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States will need 1.1 million more nurses by 2022 to meet the current shortage.

As more people test positive for COVID-19 and are admitted to hospitals, the demand for nurses continues to rise.

“I hear all the time, you know, they offer better pay, but it’s not worth my life,” said Dr Chelsea Fore, of the FSCJ School of Nursing.

The shortage is not surprising for Fore, who spent 24 years in nursing.

“COVID has definitely hit hard and certainly made us see a bigger gap in our patient-to-nurse ratio,” she said.

The gap also affects nursing students.

Fernanda Ponce is a student at Jacksonville University School of Nursing. She says there are fewer educational opportunities for nursing students because there aren’t enough nurses to teach.

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“There aren’t enough places to practice, there aren’t enough places for students in the classroom, there aren’t enough teachers to teach us,” Ponce said.

Baptist Health hours of operation and job fair will be on August 19. This is for licensed practical nurses who must first confirm their attendance.