Collaborative aimed to help alleviate nurse shortage

A nursing program is being expanded in Greenville—a collaborative that Greenville Health System and Clemson University see as a way to help meet the nursing shortage locally and across the country.  The plan is to increase over the next six years Clemson’s traditional Bachelor of Science in nursing degree program from 352 students to an anticipated 800 students.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 430,000 additional registered nurses will be needed between 2014 and 2024.  The reasons are traced to the growth of preventative care, the increasing numbers of patients with chronic health issues, and the additional health care demands created by the Baby Boomer population.