May 25, 2013
A health official says North Carolina needs to change the way its nurses are educated.
Gordon Defriese with the state's Institute of Medicine told community college officials it will be difficult to train nurses without giving community college instructors better pay.
Laura Briley, an instructor with the nursing program at Beaufort County Community College, says while salary is an issue, so is losing teachers to four-year nursing programs.
Briley also says it's difficult to attract teachers with the proper education to rural areas.
Defriese estimates there will be a shortage of 9000 nurses in 10 years.
