Hospitals, skilled-care facilities and health-related programs in the Four Corners are feeling the effects of the nationwide nursing shortage as the field continues to rapidly expand and career nurses begin to retire en masse.

But that bad news is good news for students enrolled in the practical nursing program at San Juan Basin Technical school.

Graduates of the intensive one-year program are finding high-paying jobs right out of the classroom, and since many are available in this region, it is not necessary to abandon the home turf in order to find good career opportunities.

"A job is pretty much guaranteed," said Nancy Brown, nursing program director and teacher. "The shortage is definitely trickling down into this area now and there is a real fear that it could get as bad as the days around the Second World War."

Major area hospitals such as Southwest Memorial, Northern Navajo Medical Center, San Juan Regional, and Mercy Medical are all feeling the pinch, as are the numerous other health-related fields such as home health, geriatric care, and school nursing. By 2005, reports the Department of Health and Human Resources, there will be some 200,000 unfilled nursing positions in the nation. That number will grow as U.S. nurses, whose average age is 47, start to retire.

"We used to tell our students that they may have to move from the area, but that is not the case anymore," Brown said.

Those interested in entering the nursing workforce can expect a rewarding and challenging job that pays between $12 and $17 per hour to start, with flexible schedules, Brown said. And the education needed to become a nursing assistant or licensed practical nurse is available at the San Juan Basin Technical campus located just outside the Cortez city limits. Additional schooling to become qualified as a registered nurse (RN) can be obtained in just two years through the Cortez and Durango campuses of Pueblo Community College.

"We along with PCC have really become the training ground for the industry in the Four Corners," Brown said. "It is really a wide-open career choice for anyone who is caring and has a natural desire to help people. What’s nice is that jobs are available in the region so people do not have to pick up and move to a big city. But if they do there are jobs there too, especially in the Denver area."

The intensive curriculum consists of two semesters of classroom instruction, laboratory work, and supervised patient care at local facilities. Tuition is affordable, and a good investment considering the job payoff. Colorado residents currently pay $1,450 in tuition, and $1,140 for books, uniforms, equipment and workshops for the licensed practical nursing (LPN) program. Financial aid is available, and for high school students who can look towards to the future, there are two options to save money.

Motivated high school students in the Cortez, Mancos and Dolores school districts can sign up for what’s called the Fifth Year Plan. That option allows seniors to postpone graduation for one year, while completing the practical nursing program, for which tuition is paid in full by the state.

With a little planning, students can take care of prerequisites through the Dual Credit Program. Courses such as math for nursing, science of biology, and human anatomy can be taken by high school students without charge at San Juan and count toward graduation requirements.

The nursing program prides itself on providing small classes with a lot of individual attention, well-equipped facilities that are handicap accessible, and a dedicated staff.

"We go out of our way to insure success here. Tutoring is available and we carefully monitor students. If they show signs of falling behind because of work or family matters, then we work to solve the problem and get them focused back on classwork."