UNC nursing school aims for top of its class

Kathy LaSala is worried. The director of the University of Northern Colorado’s School of Nursing sees the shortage of nurses only getting worse in the decade ahead.

“Unless some major changes take place, I don’t know if we can fill the need in Colorado for nurses,” she says.

Not that she’s waiting for a magic bullet.

LaSala and the management team at UNC have been exploring every possible way to recruit and train the nurses of tomorrow, from expanded partnerships with health care providers to adding new degree programs to offering courses to upgrade the skills of working nurses.

The effort…