While our health care system is struggling to keep up with the pressure, hundreds of graduates from the Department of Nursing at The Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions will soon join the efforts against the pandemic and can become a significant reinforcement for the health system and society in general.

Covid-induced Boost in Appreciation 

New data from Tel Aviv University shows there has been a 50% increase in nursing students over the last two years, up from 223 students in 2019 to 327 students in 2021.

Moreover, the number of academics who decided to transfer to the nursing profession has tripled from 39 in 2019 to 102 in 2021. According to the Department of Nursing, the boost is mainly a result of the appreciation for the work of nurses during the Corona crisis.

Academics who have chosen to convert to nursing come from a variety of disciplines, including: law, education, psychology and behavioral sciences.

Job Security and Professional Satisfaction

Dr. Michal Itzhaki, Chair of the Department of Nursing, welcomes the increase, describing the incoming academics as “a high-quality workforce, which has recalculated a route following a desire for job security, managerial promotion and professional satisfaction, and which we are happy to welcome.”

“Academic nurses are engaged in a critical and vital profession, which significance has intensified in the past year and a half. Nursing students see their studies as a mission, based on the highest level of professionalism, humanity and concern for others. We’re proud of every graduate who goes on to integrate into the workforce.”

Dr. Anat Amit Aharon, Head of the Academic Transfer Program, adds: “In the retraining studies in the department, we work closely with two leading Israeli hospitals, Sheba and Ichilov. Together, we guide the students to academic excellence. Our graduates all made a brave decision, sometimes after successful careers, to transition to study nursing. They deserve appreciation.”