Most of the country is short of nurses; Maryland is no exception. It needs thousands.

Charlotte Wood, president of the Maryland Nurses Association, describes the complicated causes of the shortfall and creative ways -- like forgiving student loans--to attract more to the field.

Then Kathleen Wisser, dean of Nursing at Notre Dame of Maryland University, says its 15-month accelerated program draws people looking to pivot their profession:

“Sometimes their career wasn’t as fulfilling and enriching as they thought. Sometimes it’s a personal experience, either with COVID or a family member who has had some type of chronic or terminal illness.”

And Stephania Long, a senior in the school’s traditional nursing course, reflects on gaining clinical experience during the pandemic.

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