Emory Nursing Student Wins Scholarship for Addressing Critical Nursing Shortage Issues

Schenk Nursing Home Abuse Law announced Justin Coffman as the recipient of the 2025 Fighting the Nursing Shortage Scholarship, valued at $2,000. The scholarship targets nursing students at accredited U.S. institutions and encourages exploration of ways to make healthcare more accessible to incoming professionals. Coffman, pursuing his Master's in Nursing at Emory University, identified three critical pain points contributing to the nursing exodus that healthcare institutions must address.

Coffman highlighted that hospitals and healthcare organizations have failed to appropriately staff their facilities, leaving nurses overwhelmed and unable to provide optimal patient care. This chronic understaffing creates unsafe working conditions and contributes to the high turnover rates plaguing the profession. Additionally, he noted that healthcare institutions have not provided staff with competitive payment packages and benefits, making nursing less financially attractive compared to other career paths requiring similar education and commitment levels.

The third major concern Coffman addressed involves the lack of up-to-date mental health resources to prevent nurse burnout. He observed that many healthcare facilities fail to provide adequate support systems for the psychological toll that nursing work entails. Coffman argues that if healthcare institutions seriously addressed nurses' concerns about pay, understaffing, and mental health resources, they could significantly curb the professional exodus affecting the nursing field.

Alarmingly, Coffman reported that many of his peers are already planning their exits from the industry, with recent graduates likely to spend no more than five years in healthcare. This trend threatens to exacerbate the existing nursing shortage and compromise patient care quality across the healthcare system. He strongly encourages healthcare institutions to listen to their nurses' concerns and proactively address these pain points to become more appealing to the next generation of nursing professionals.

Coffman maintains an extensive volunteer history while pursuing his advanced degree, working with organizations including Nursing Students for Sexual & Reproductive Health, the National Student Nurses' Association, and the Graduate Nursing Student Academy. His commitment to community service extends beyond healthcare to include volunteering with local animal shelters and Camp Sunshine. The staff at Schenk Nursing Home Abuse Law found Coffman's concise and passionate assessment of today's nursing shortage particularly compelling, leading to his selection as this year's scholarship recipient.