This nursing shortage story really got to me
I just read about Yesenia Raithel Vargas having to literally beg on Facebook to find a mentor for her graduate nursing program, and I know this sounds silly but it made me tear up a little. Here she is trying to advance her career and help more people, and the system is making it almost impossible because there just aren't enough experienced nurses willing or able to mentor. I think about how many women are probably in her exact position right now, stuck in programs they worked so hard to get into, and it feels like we are just setting them up to fail. Maybe someone else feels this way too, but it seems like if we want better healthcare and more qualified nurses, we have to actually invest in mentoring and support instead of just expecting people to figure it out alone. The fact that this is happening at the graduate level makes it even more frustrating because these are people who already know they can do hard things. I really hope this story pushes some institutions to actually address this problem because talented people like Yesenia shouldn't have to choose between their education and their families.
S
Sarah
September 1, 2026