Nursing Students Pursue Career in High-Demand - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

North Dakota is known for its low unemployment, especially in western North Dakota.

One area seeing a need for workers--is in hospitals.

Nurses are in short supply in the state-- and as Jon Berg explains-- that's good news for nursing students.

Sanford's College of Nursing in Bismarck is preparing future nurses for the workforce.

In the last ten years enrollment at the College of Nursing has doubled to 80 students.

"Much stronger applicant pool in the last few years and decided that when we have a greater applicant pool at the same time as there's a greater need it's a great time for us to expand enrollment," Dean of Sanford Nursing College, Karen Latham said.

Right now the college has 100 percent employment for their students, and many of the students end up working for Sanford when they graduate, which helps the need Sanford has for nurses.

Last year 86 percent of graduates ended up with a nursing job at Sanford, the year before that, 90 percent.

"It's been as many years as I can remember that we've had 100 percent employment of our graduates, so there's plenty of jobs out there, right now we have 45 seniors and 38 already have jobs and the others there's still open positions that they're applying for," Latham said.

Encouraging words for Karli Olson, who's in her first semester at Sanford's College of Nursing.

"I like that I'll probably have a job in the future when I'm done and graduated and I guess it's comforting to know that when I graduate I'll have a job, I don't like how hospitals are short of nurses, but I like that I'm going to have a job," Student, Karli Olson said.

Which makes Olson excited to start her career.

"I'm really excited, I like working with patients, I like being able to care for people, I'm really excited to start my career," Olson said.

The college also has a tuition loan program.

Students can take out a loan for a large portion of their tuition and if they choose to be employed by Sanford at graduation, over the course of two years that loan is forgiven.