The nursing pathways program being piloted in Poplar Bluff is successfully leading to an uptick of student interest in the lucrative profession, R-I educators have reported.

The second annual Health Care Career Fair, designed to provide exposure to continued education and career opportunities locally in the medical sector, was held Friday, Feb. 7, at Poplar Bluff High School.

Among those set up with informational booths and demonstrations in the gymnasium were: Cedargate Healthcare, FCC Behavioral Health, Ozark Total Healthcare, Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center and Three Rivers College.

“We’ve had some students get jobs through employers [represented], and some who have never been interested in the field, now interested,” stated Karen Harris, PBHS biology instructor. “With such a shortage [locally] and nursing being a critical need now, our best hope in filling the openings here is with people in our own community.”

Students interested in pursuing a profession in health care are encouraged to take Harris’ anatomy and physiology class at PBHS in order to be better prepared for college, she said. Organizers additionally recommend the health occupations program at TCC for initial exposure to the field, aiming not only to boost interest but also to improve retention rates.

Abby Crites, TCC health occupations instructor, reported that her applications have doubled since last year's NPP launch. Through the grant initiative, the TCC received medical scrubs plus eight virtual reality headsets last semester along with three years’ worth of software so students can gain practice toward certified nursing assistant testing.

“The whole purpose of the program is to try to recruit students in the health care industry, nursing especially,” Crites explained. “They’re offering a lot of support and hopefully it will pay off, and ideally [graduates] will stay in our community.”

While it is undetermined how the school system will proceed with the career fair at the conclusion of the three-year commitment, Crites noted that it has already served to strengthen partnerships in the community among participating entities. PBRMC has agreed to begin offering paid apprenticeships for students completing clinical portions of their classes. Three Rivers will host author Marcus Engel on Thursday, May 8, at the community college to speak with students about compassionate care.

The NPP was piloted in the region under the Heartland Forward think-and-do tank with a $1.5 million grant through the U.S. Department of Labor, after a community coalition was formed in 2023 under the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce.

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Cutline: PBHS students engage in virtual reality exercises, simulating either orthopedic surgery or an EKG with paramedics at the Health Care Career Fair.