Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 11, 1992 TAG: 9203110064
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By JOE TENNIS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Her field - nursing - is much in demand these days. And her nursing school at Radford University ranks above national averages.
"I was never worried about getting a job," said Kiser, a senior from Castlewood, "because I knew that there is a need for nurses everywhere."
Kiser, 21, wants to work in oncology - the treatment of cancer. But, she said, "I would be satisfied to work in almost any medical area."
A study by the Virginia Employment Commission predicted increasing demand for registered nurses, nurses' aides, orderlies, licensed practical nurses and other health-care workers through 2000.
Almost 49,000 registered nurses will be needed in Virginia in 2000, the study said, 53 percent more than in 1988. It said 2,580 registered nursing jobs will become available each year between now and then.
Whats' more, 22,000 licensed practical nurses will be needed, up 48 percent from 1988. About 1,100 openings will become available each year.
Nursing, however, is not an easy road to take.
Getting a job may not be too hard. But be prepared: work hours rotate around the clock; there's constant life-and-death responsibility, and you have to get through hours and hours of training before you ever see a dime.
The starting pay for a full-time licensed registered nurse in Southwest Virginia is between $22,000 and $27,000, according to Bobbie Barnhill, secretary for Radford's nursing school.
Radford senior Andrea Coleman, 21, of Richlands, is like Kiser; she's not worried about getting work.
"I'm not afraid of not finding a job," she said. "But I'm afraid of not finding a job I want."
Kiser is glad she got her start at Radford. "I came because it did have a strong nursing program," she said.
"It's very personalized. Everyone knows your name. They motivate you. And they push - not to the extreme - but they push toward being your all. They know what you're capable of. And they have a strong desire to see you functioning at your highest ability."
For the second consecutive year, Radford nursing graduates have passed the national licensing exam at a rate well above the average.
Ninety-seven percent of the 40 Radford grads who took the National Council Licensure Examination in Virginia passed in 1991. The test is required to become a registered nurse and enter professional practice. The previous year, 95 percent passed the exam.
The national average is 87 percent.
"These test results show that we are attracting increasingly higher-quality students," said Karma Castleberry, acting chairwoman of the nursing department. "This speaks highly of both our students and our instructional faculty."
Senior nursing major DeeAnn Perkuchin, 26, of Alexandria, put it this way: "The versatility, mobility and marketability at Radford really attracted me."
Perkuchin will join the Air Force as a second lieutenant - and a nurse - after graduation.
Coleman, Perkuchin and Kiser all plan to take the Board Review - a weeklong prep course - before they take the licensing exam, a hurdle they are shaky about "since it determines your future," Perkuchin said.
by CNB