U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski Engages SIUE Nursing Students in Roundtable on Workforce, Access and Community Health

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski Engages SIUE Nursing Students in Roundtable on Workforce, Access and Community Health

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's School of Nursing welcomed U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) on Monday, Oct. 13, for an engaging roundtable discussion with nursing students focused on workforce challenges, medical access and the future of the profession. The event allowed emerging nurses who are already shaping the healthcare landscape in the Metro East and Greater St. Louis Area to share their perspective.

Hosted by the SIUE School of Nursing and coordinated by the Office of Government and Community Relations , the roundtable invited students to share personal motivations for pursuing nursing, their experiences in the field and their perspectives on the ongoing nursing shortage. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, for which SIUE is a member, the U.S. is projected to experience a shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) that is expected to intensify as Baby Boomers age and the need for health care grows. Budzinski, who represents central and southern Illinois, listened closely to nursing students Kaelyn Cupil, Melanie Kantzioris, Olivia Morgan, Chloe Stark and Samantha Story, who were enjoying their first day of classes in the newly opened building. They discussed topics ranging from mental health and workplace safety to healthcare access and the cost of nursing education.

"We have a nursing shortage in this country," said Budzinski. "We need more great women and men to go into nursing, to learn at a great University like this, and then stay in our communities, because we have so many needs here in central and southern Illinois."
Throughout the conversation, students shared stories from their clinical experiences across the region, connecting their classroom learning with the realities of patient care. One student described working in a nearby county, where gaps in comprehensive care often leave patients without consistent primary care providers. Others reflected on clinicals in the region, where they witnessed how food insecurity and transportation barriers contribute to chronic health issues.

"Our most recent clinical site was in a food desert," said fourth-year student, Melanie Kantzioris. "When families don't have access to healthy foods, it affects everything-diabetes management, recovery from illness, even mental health. We organized a food drive for that community and saw firsthand how many people needed that support."

Budzinski praised the students' commitment to addressing systemic challenges through empathy and innovation. Speaking to the future cohort of nurses, she had ease understanding their concerns about the needs of local healthcare.

"When people lose access to their health insurance then they really only seek healthcare when it's an emergency situation," said Budzinski. "If people had access to treatments for their chronic diseases, preventive care, then when they come to see you it might be less acute."

The students' firsthand insights into patient care also highlighted a sobering reality: Nurses often shoulder risks that go unseen by the public, from staffing shortages to instances of workplace violence.

"I've seen too many nurses get abused," said fourth-year student Melanie Kantzioris. "I personally have had to hold down the patient while they were swinging at me. You can't hit a police officer; you shouldn't be able to hit your nurses."

Fourth-year student Cupil, who is originally from Chicago, spoke with Budzinski about how important scholarships like the grant from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) are at providing for her education during a time of increasingly high costs of living. She urged Budzinski to work to protect grants like this in addition to SNAP benefits and other financial aid.

Dean and professor Judy Liesveld, PhD, PPCNP-BC, CNE, FAAN, expressed pride in both the students and the purpose of Budzinski's visit.

"It was an honor for Congresswoman Budzinski to meet with our students," said Liesveld. "She created a warm and open dialogue with them. The students brilliantly shared the broad knowledge that nurses have in their holistic care of patients and the importance of the social determinants of health and health equity in patient outcomes. They also shared some of the challenges that they see in the healthcare setting including lack of mental health resources and violence against nurses. I am so proud of our students and the faculty who teach them."

Budzinski reflected on the dialogue with gratitude for the emerging SIUE nursing cohort and a promise to continue supporting their needs.

"Today's conversation underscored that nursing students and recent graduates face far too many barriers trying to start their careers," said Congresswoman Budzinski. "From the high cost of education to chronic underfunding of our rural healthcare system, we need to take action to address these challenges that contribute to America's nursing shortage. I'm grateful to the SIUE students, graduates, and faculty for sitting down with me to have this important discussion. I'm going to keep fighting in Washington for commonsense solutions to reduce the burden of student debt and help us recruit and retain nurses in our rural communities."

The session closed with group photos alongside Budzinski, Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD, and Provost Denise Cobb, PhD.

Guests were invited to tour the campus, where nursing students are not only learning to care for patients, but also learning to advocate for their profession and the communities they serve.

PHOTO: Samantha Story, Melanie Kantzioris, Olivia Morgan, Nikki Budzinski, Kaelyn Cupil, Chloe Stark