Workforce ready: NSU nursing students make a difference and advocate for change

The nursing profession is facing critical staffing shortages and workforce burnout that threaten the wellbeing of communities across the nation.

According to the Florida Hospital Association, Florida alone is projected to be short 59,100 nurses by 2035, a projection that will have wide-ranging impacts on healthcare systems and patient outcomes.

With a growing demand for nurses expected in the coming years, it is likely that the nursing profession will command higher salaries, inevitably increasing the cost of care for patients.

For nursing students such as Ashley Rivera, the call to serve is rooted in her desire to make a daily impact on children’s lives as a pediatric nurse. Her love for children came from her affection for younger siblings, but it wasn’t until she enrolled as a student at Nova Southeastern University that she discovered a meaningful pathway to helping pediatric patients when they’re at their most vulnerable.

“What I love about nursing is the relationship with the patients,” said Ashley, a student in the Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing’s bachelor of science program. “I love talking to them and getting to know them. With pediatrics, it’s the magic of the patient being so small and yet so resilient. They don’t really understand exactly what’s going on, but they’re just happy that you’re there.”

Ashley began considering a career in nursing after her grandmother’s prolonged illness.

“Growing up, I knew she was sick,” she said. “Really, I just wanted to understand what was going on. I think that’s what made me pursue nursing and be interested in a medical career.”

Aside from studying and working while attaining her degree, Ashley serves as the Student Government Association president for the College of Nursing. In that role, she organizes student involvement and events on the NSU campuses. But her leadership position and passion for nursing recently led her to somewhere she didn’t expect – the halls of Congress.

Bringing the cause to the Capitol

Ashley, along with other students and faculty from the College of Nursing, traveled to Washington, D.C., last March as part of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) “Capitol Hill Day.” The NSU delegation joined more than 475 participants from 48 states to meet with elected representatives to advocate for resources and legislation to benefit nursing programs and nursing students preparing to enter the workforce.

“I couldn’t believe that I was talking directly to a senator or house representative,” Ashley said. “And seeing that I, as a nursing student - not even as a nurse - could already be making that impact and talking about my personal experience in school and in a clinical setting, it was honestly astounding.”

By coordinating visits with elected officials in our nation’s capital, the AACN hopes additional support and resources can be provided to nursing education and workforce development.

“Nursing is the number one most trusted profession for the last 23 years,” said Ashley. “As you can imagine, it’s important to advocate for education for our nurses, for research for our nurses, and for incentives for our current nurses who are helping new nurses coming into the workforce.”