For years we’ve heard about a nursing shortage, and how
nursing graduates have had their pick of jobs and sign-on bonuses. But that may no longer be the case. As the economy worsens, more nurses are putting
off retirement.
A new survey out from UVM’s
Office of Nursing Workforce reports that the median age of nurses in the state
is 49.7 years of age, and 92% of nurses report being somewhat to very satisfied
with their positions. Though, healthcare
experts warn that this may only be a temporary fix to the longstanding problem
of the state’s nursing shortage.
Our
guests include Mary Val Palumbo, the director of UVM’s Office of Nursing
Workforce, and Liz Cote, the director of UVM’s Office of Primary Care and the
Area Health Education Centers Program. Listen
Also, this summer an exhibit at the Vermont
Folklife Center
in Middlebury recalls the life of early Vermont
"homesteaders" Helen and Scott Nearing.
The Nearings made their home in Jamaica,
Vermont, which they described in
their book Living the Good Life. The
book captured the imagination of a generation of urban youth wanting to get
back to the land, and brought them fame.
VPR’s Steve Zind looks back at their lives. Listen
Check out the Nearing Homestead photo gallery
Photo credit: AP/Jamestown Sun