The Nursing Student's Guide to Detroit Education and Careers

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By C.J. Gustafson, Nursing Schools.com Contributing Writer

Long before it became a city on the map, the area around Detroit was an important trading center for Native American tribes. Due to its strategic location, the area was closed to all Europeans except trusted traders and trappers. Eventually this control lapsed and French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac landed on the banks of the Detroit River and established a fort in 1701. In 1760, Britain gained control of Detroit as a result of the French and Indian War, and then in 1796 the United States took over Detroit as part of Jay's Treaty.

Detroit, Michigan Detroit was incorporated as a city in 1815 and soon earned a reputation for manufacturing, with products such as cigars and kitchen ranges. The city was also an important stop on the Underground Railroad.

Ford Changes History In Detroit
In 1896, Henry Ford built his first car in Detroit and soon developed the moving assembly line, a method of production that would change the world and put Detroit on the road to becoming the auto manufacturing capital.

Today, the City of Detroit covers 138.7 square miles along the river and is home to just over 950,000 people. The surrounding metropolitan area, which includes Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, is often referred to as the Tri-County area and has more than 4 million residents.

The Place To Be
Despite some tough economic times in past decades, Detroit is making a comeback as a happening city, with major renovation and development in the downtown area. These efforts have paid off as the city was chosen to host Super Bowl XL in February of 2006, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 Men's Basketball Final Four in 2009.

The automobile industry is still an important part of the area's economy. The world headquarters of Ford Motor and General Motors Corporation, as well as the North American headquarters of DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen are all located in metro Detroit. Yet despite being a leader in auto manufacturing, the services industry, including health care, is by far the largest employment sector in Detroit, providing over 900,000 jobs -- and this segment is expected to grow significantly over the coming years.

Growing Demand for Health Care Workers
In an online article in the Detroit Free Press entitled "State Faces Big Health Job Need," it was stated that according to a recent report, "Michigan's aging population and current shortages among nurses, pharmacists and other health care workers have the state expecting more than 100,000 job openings in health fields over the next 10 years."

The article also pointed out that, "A significant boost is needed in the number of nurses, pharmacists, emergency medical technicians and paramedics in Michigan to avoid a serious threat to the health and safety of state residents… Nearly half of the demand will be for registered nurses."

Nursing in Detroit, Michigan Hospitals Are Hiring
As one of the largest population centers in the state, and home to numerous hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities, Detroit will be at the forefront of exciting employment opportunities for RNs and others in health care fields. The hospitals in the area continue to have ongoing openings for nursing personnel.

St. John Hospital and Medical Center is a regional-referral teaching hospital affiliated with Wayne State University. It has 607 licensed beds, a 700-member medical staff and more than 50 medical and surgical specialties. Also affiliated with Wayne State University is Harper University Hospital.

Sinai-Grace Hospital is the result of a merger of two well-known community hospitals. In one form or another, it has been a part of the Detroit health care institution since 1888. Henry Ford Hospital has 903 beds and is a multi-organ transplantation center and Level 1 trauma center. It is an education and research facility as well.

Get the Training You Need
In addition to several quality hospitals, health care students in Detroit also have numerous educational facilities to choose from. Along with Wayne State University, mentioned above in affiliation with two of the hospitals, the University of Detroit Mercy - McAuley School of Nursing, and Wayne County Community College, Nursing Program are two local facilities with a variety of degree options.

The University of Phoenix has a campus in metro Detroit as wel, and the Detroit Public Schools offers a Practical Nursing program for those who want to get an early start on their training.

Students at these schools can study Critical Care Nursing, Forensic Nursing, Hospice Care Nursing, Midwifery, and Nursing Informatics. They can train to become a Legal Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nurse (RN), or a health care administrator.

Detroit is a city in the middle of a rebirth, with many exciting events and developments planned for the future. Located on the U.S./Canada border, it offers comfortable summers and plenty of snow for those who like ice skating, skiing, snowmobiling, and other winter activities. In addition, the city is expected to see an increasing demand for nurses and other health care workers, providing a wealth of employment opportunities for students completing their training.

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