INDIANAPOLIS — It’s a way of saying thank you.
Western Governors University Indiana students and staff packed boxes for the Annual Night Shift Nurse Care Kit Packing Party on Tuesday.
In the coming weeks, 150 kits will be delivered to over 2,000 nurses across the Hoosier state.
The kits include things like pens, notepads, masks and even some sweet treats.
Director of Prelicensure Nursing Lisa Wagner says the operation has grown dramatically over the last 11 years.
“It started from a plate of brownies at one local hospital here in Indianapolis. We’ve grown throughout the state. We go to South Bend, Fort Wayne, all the way down to Evansville," Wagner said.
When Daylight Saving Time ends, many night shift nurses stay on clock and work an extra hour.
Wagner says showing their appreciation is especially important, as the nursing industry faces an ongoing shortage after the pandemic.
“COVID really painted a picture that wasn’t so pretty of the working environment we’re in. That’s not nursing. Nursing is being at the bed side. Really connecting with that patient. Providing the support and care to make them better in that moment of time," Wagner said.
WGU Regional Vice President Alison Bell says there’s a desperate need for more healthcare workers right now.
“There aren’t enough nurses. They are vital. They’re vital to our healthcare and vital to our system. And those that are working are getting overworked," Bell said.
WGU offers a Night Shift Worker Scholarship to entice people to go into the profession.
It’s valued up to $4,000 and is credited to students’ accounts at the rate of $1,000 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms.
“It’s just one way that we’d like to help folks afford returning to school if that’s in their plans," she said.
You can apply online through the end of next January.
