The School of Nursing at the University of Alaska Anchorage has reached a significant milestone— graduating nearly 4,000 nurses to the Alaskan community over four decades.

But the number of qualified nurses still falls short of demand. A brand new health science building –complete with simulation labs— is part of the bright future for UAA's nursing program striving to fill that gap. The program aims to not only educate, but to make sure graduates are ready for work right away.

Celebrating 40 years of nursing in Alaska, a collection of UAA students, faculty, and alumni gathered to showcase the impact their profession has in the community. “It has been huge. I am now a primary care provider,” said Sen. Cathy Giessel, who became a nurse practitioner after graduating UAA in 2000.

“Nursing allows you the opportunity to be in lots of fields,” said Yvonne Bay, a nurse at Northstar Behavioral Health after graduating UAA in 2009.

“Nurses are the ones who have the true pulse of the patient, who really have the understanding of what's going on and some of the subtle things that are happening,” said Barbara Berner, director of nursing at UAA.

Right now, about 7,000 nurses are licensed in Alaska, 25 percent of whom came from the UAA nursing program, and every year, about 200 graduates stay in the state to work.

“Part of coming back to Alaska and deciding to be at UAA was because the nursing program was so strong and had so much history,” said Carrie Berg, a nurse at Providence Medical Center and Bowman Elementary School.

But demands in health care are growing so much that there are not enough nurses to fill the void.

“It is scary doing your first shot, or doing your first blood draw, but they just gave you the confidence that you can do it,” said Bay.

And new technology, like a simulation lab, is helping to shape the next generation of Alaska’s nurses.

“When you first walk into a patient's room, for the first time, it’s a very overwhelming feeling,” said Berg.

Currently 125 to 150 nursing jobs are vacant across the state, and the need continues to grow.

The UAA nursing program is pushing to get more students to move from pursuing associate to bachelor degrees, which will improve their experience level.