CAROL: WYFF NEWS 4 INVESTIGATES LEARNED THERE ARE MORE JOB OPENINGS FOR REGISTERED NURSES IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAN ANY OTHER JOB. MICHAEL: GABRIELLE KOMOROWSKI LOOKS INTO WHO IS HOPING TO FILL THOSE JOBS. GABRIELLE: THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR PEOPLE, WHAT IS OFTEN CONCURRENTLY VULNERABLE TIMES. >> IT’S NOT JUST A JOB, IT’S DEFINITELY A PROFESSION AND A CAREER WHERE THEY WILL REALLY BE ABLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. GABRIELLE: DR. SHIRLEATHA LEE IS THE DEAN OF THE MARY BLACK SCHOOL OF NURSING AT USC UPSTATE IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY. SHE SAYS THERE’S BEEN A NEED FOR NURSES FOR DECADES. >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT USC UPSTATE, THIS PROGRAM WAS STARTED OVER 50 YEARS AGO, AND IT WAS STARTED ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE NURSING SHORTAGE. GABRIELLE: WYFF NEWS 4 INVESTIGATES FOUND THERE ARE CURRENTLY 4,955 OPENINGS FOR REGISTERED NURSES IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THERE ARE 553 OPENINGS IN GREENVILLE COUNTY AND 176 OPENINGS IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY. >> OBVIOUSLY THE DEMAND FOR NURSING PRECEDES COVID BY QUITE A BIT. WE’VE GOT AN AGING POPULATION, SO THIS IS PART OF A 10 YEAR TRAJECTORY ON A BIG UPWARD SWING. AND NOW WE’VE GOT THE COVID RELAXING. WE’VE GOT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE VOLUNTARY PROCEDURES GETTING SCHEDULED. PEOPLE ARE GOING BACK TO THE DOCTOR THAT PERHAPS WERE KIND OF SCARED. GABRIELLE: DR. LEE SAYS THERE’S BEEN AN INCREASE IN NURSING SCHOOL ENROLLMENT. AND WHEN THESE STUDENTS GRADUATE, THEY’RE ESSENTIALLY GUARANTEED A JOB. >> LAST YEAR OUR EMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 100%. NOT ONLY DO OUR STUDENTS LOVE IT, BUT I GUARANTEE OUR PARENTS LOVE IT TOO. GABRIELLE: SHE SAYS THE AVERAGE STARTING PAY IN THE UPSTATE FOR A NEW NURSING GRADUATE IS ABOUT $60,000 TO $70,000 A YEAR. A JOB WITH LOTS OF OPTIONS, NOT JUST IN A HOSPITAL SETTING. AND RIGHT NOW, LOTS OF OPENINGS. >> NOT ONLY WILL THEY BE ABLE TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY, BUT THEY ARE GIVING BACK TO A PROFESSION THAT TRULY NEEDS THEM, AND A COMMUNITY THAT WILL NEED THEM WHEN THEY GET BACK INTO THE WORKFORCE. GABRIELLE: GABRIELLE KOMOROWSKI, WYFF NEWS 4. CAROL: DR. LEE TELLS US ANOTHER REASON FOR THE NURSING SHORTAGE IS THAT THERE AREN’T ENOUGH INSTRUCTORS TO TEACH THEM. MICHAEL: BECAUSE OF THAT, THE MARY BLACK SCHOOL OF NURSING AT USC UPSTATE STARTED A NURSING EDUCATION CONCENTRATION LAST YEAR. WE ARE TOLD THE FIRST PERSON TO COMPLETE THAT CONCENTRATIO