May 6 is National Nurses Day, a time to thank nurses for their service to Kansas and their communities. The Kansas Department of Commerce is proud to support several programs that help train nurses and assist nurses in finding job opportunities.

“I would like to thank nurses and other health care professionals for all that they do to help improve the quality of life in our state,” Kansas Commerce Secretary Pat George said. “We’re excited to remind Kansans that our state has several innovative programs to support nurses and ensure that our state has enough nurses to meet community needs.”

The following are several of the programs that support the nursing workforce in Kansas:

·         KANSASWORKS.com and the Workforce Centers can help nurses find and take advantage of the numerous job openings for nurses in Kansas. Please visit KANSASWORKS.com to search for opportunities or to contact a local Workforce Center.

·         The Kansas Health Profession Opportunity Project (KHPOP) is an innovative training program designed to help healthcare providers find the workforce they need. The program provides education and training to low-income individuals for occupations in healthcare that pay well. KHPOP features several innovative elements including career coaches, incentives for GED completion, financial assistance for employers, high-definition video conferencing and Federal Bonding.

·         The Career Technical Education initiative allows Kansas high school students to obtain a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) credential at no cost. This allows students to begin their nursing studies while in high school and helps these students graduate with post-secondary certifications.

·         The Rural Opportunity Zones program allows qualified individuals who move to a designated rural county to receive income tax waivers for up to five years/and or student loan repayments up to $15,000. Many rural communities have a high demand for nurses, as is evidenced by the more than 300 program applicants who work in healthcare. Please visit KansasCommerce.com/Rural for more information or to apply.