HUNTSVILLE, Ala — Hospitals are trying to make sure that you get the care you deserve, but that can be difficult to do when operating without enough staff.
At various points during the COVID-19 pandemic, many hospitals were so overwhelmed that they weren't able to conduct elective surgeries.
Huntsville Hospital is hoping to solve this problem by bringing in nursing students to help registered nurses do some of the day-to-day tasks they're responsible for.
"It's a win-win situation," said Huntsville Hospital Medical Service Line Administrator Brian Buchmann. "We can actually have nursing students come into the hospital and they start developing their skills early."
Buchmann says there shouldn't be any concern for patient safety as these students will be supervised.
"We have an orientation process for them, just like we do for all employees that come in," said Buchmann. "They will be trained first as regular patient care aids."
The Alabama Board of Nursing has approved this whole process. These are paid positions, not just volunteer hours for these college students.
"And when nurses are busy they've got a lot of admissions and discharges, to have those extra pair of hands of someone that's competent for those skills to do that for them, really helps out."
If you are a nursing student and are interested in working with Huntsville Hospital, you can apply through your college or online through Huntsville Hospital's website.