Graduation season is here, and many nursing students are excited to enter the workforce. However, the nation is grappling with a critical nursing shortage.

Data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) reveals that the U.S. is currently facing a shortage of nearly 300,000 registered nurses (RNs). While this national shortage is projected to improve over the next decade, it is particularly pronounced in Virginia, where hospitals struggle to fill staffing gaps.

Virginia currently has a demand for 82,540 RNs, but only 57,720 are available. By 2030, the demand is expected to rise to 87,130 RNs. As the aging population grows and the demand for healthcare services increases, addressing this nursing shortage is essential.

Amid this challenge, nursing students are stepping up, eager to make a difference. Haley Brown, a 2025 nursing graduate from Radford University, is determined to enter the field despite the ongoing shortage.

“I think like very prevalent especially after COVID. There’s been a lot of burnout and stuff in nurses and so I always knew that I wanted to be a nurse. It was like I’ve never thought of anything else, so it drove me harder,” Brown said.

With the support of her classes and mentors, Brown feels prepared for her next steps, announcing that she will soon join the NICU team at a local Roanoke hospital.

“The curriculum was really good. I could tell that there’s a reason behind everything,” she said. “Once you get to the level four in your practicum hours, you kind of realized, oh, that’s why I did that, and I need to know that because now I’m here in the hospital and like I remember those things.”

Virginia nursing programs have been attempting to fill this gap for the last couple of years as staffing issues and other healthcare challenges were only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virginia nursing programs have been working to fill this gap, especially as staffing issues were increased by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, Radford University’s 2025 nursing class totaled 148 graduates, and the university will receive additional funding to support the increase in accepted nursing students. This funding is part of over a dozen bills supported by the Virginia Nurses Association, which were passed by Governor Glenn Youngkin this year.

Several of these bills aim to enhance funding for state nursing education and expand educational opportunities and workforce safety.

These bills aim to enhance funding for nursing education and expand scholarship opportunities, addressing the urgent need for more qualified nurses.

The Virginia Western Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN) and Practical Nursing (PN) Certificates awarded 32 ADN Awards and 10 PN awards for the 2024-2025 year.

Additionally, HCA Healthcare became the majority owner of Galen College of Nursing, forming the largest academic-practice partnership in U.S. healthcare, according to HCAVa . A new Galen campus opened in Richmond in 2021, followed by another in Roanoke in 2023. By 2024, both campuses graduated more than 170 new nurses.

Kelley Pennell, professor and nursing program director at Virginia Western Community College, noted that without enough nurses, hospital staff is stretched thin.

“The nursing shortage is causing their ratios of patients that they care for to be larger. And any time you’re caring for more patients. The quality of the care that you can provide to each one of them is lessened because you have less time to spend with patients,” Pennell said.

To support nursing education throughout the state, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced the recipients of the Earn to Learn grant program in September 2024. This funding will allow nursing students across the Commonwealth to earn a stipend while completing classes and hands-on clinical training at partnered clinical sites.

A total of $4.5 million has been allocated to the Earn to Learn program to address workforce shortages. Governor Youngkin plans to continue supporting nursing schools throughout his final year in office.

Virginia Western Community College received $439,521.22 in Earn to Learn grants, while New River Community College in Dublin received $358,911, both located in Southwest Virginia.

Pennell expects an increase in graduates at Virginia Western Community College in the coming years and encourages aspiring nurses to pursue the profession despite the challenges.

“It’s the best decision they will make as a professional. Nursing is hard work, and nursing school is rigorous, but the rewards come back to you every day. It’s the most rewarding and fulfilling career, in my opinion. I would tell them to go for it and be ready to work hard. You will never regret your decision for one second,” Pennell said.