Nurses Needed: University Tour Tackles Georgia Shortage

Augusta University’s leader, Russell Keen, is on a road trip through northern Georgia. His goal is to talk with former students, supporters and future applicants about the school’s plans. The trip starts in Athens and will stop in cities like Dalton and the Classic City. Keen says Georgia feels like a second campus because the university has served the state for almost two centuries. While visiting Athens, Keen and his wife met alumni at a local clothing shop on Clayton Street. The shop is owned by Hannah and Rafy Bassali, the latter having earned a master’s degree from Augusta. The university also has a nursing school in Athens, inside the Green Acres Shopping Center on Barnett Shoals Road.It is one of only a few places in the state that offers nursing programs, including a unique public program for anesthesia. Keen highlighted partnerships with the University of Georgia in medicine and nursing. These collaborations help provide health‑science education across Georgia. Beth NeSmith, dean of the nursing college, noted that Augusta’s program is the largest anesthesia training program in the country. She also mentioned a special Clinical Nursing Leaders track that turns people with other degrees into nurse leaders in 18 months. Seth Lee, associate dean for the Athens campus, said the state faces a nursing shortage. He stressed that the university is doing everything possible to train new nurses and meet community needs.