Workforce

Determining if Mississippi has an adequate supply of nurses and healthcare professions requires the collection, synthesis, and analysis of the data concerning the supply, demand, and educational preparation of nurses and healthcare providers. Currently workforce data including turnover, vacancy and retention rates is collected from hospitals and long term care facilities. Workforce data for other select healthcare providers will be coming soon.

EXTERNSHIP

The MHA Organization of Nurse Executives, the Mississippi Center for Quality and Workforce, and the MS Council of Deans and Directors of Schools of Nursing jointly sponsor the Summer Student Nurse Externship Program (Externship Program). The Externship Program is designed to:

Provide students in nursing with an opportunity to enhance previously learned skills under the supervision of experienced registered nurses in the healthcare setting.
Assist students of nursing to experience acceptance in a work situation appropriate to their potential as future registered nurses.

Prepare students to assume responsibilities of full-time employees with respect to performance requirements, policies, and procedures of a health care agency.
Encourage retention of nursing graduates through provision of supplemental practice experience within the workplace.