BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Nursing students in Ohio have been given the option to graduate early and start their careers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Bowling Green State University graduate, Evan Barnett, said that despite the circumstances he's excited to start helping.
Barnett said that knew he wanted to go into nursing during his junior year of high school after taking care of his grandfather.
Once states started allowing early graduation for senior nursing students, he took the opportunity.
Barnett knows it's unique time to be starting a career, but he's excited to be done with school and looks forward to helping within the hospitals.
"We're making history and we want to be a part of that. We want to get out there and we want to do these things, even if it is a big risk. We're young so we want to do this," Barnett said.
So far, he's applied to Wood County Hospital, University of Toledo Medical Center and ProMedica.
Once the pandemic is over, he and other early graduates will have to take and pass their board exams, but this temporary license allows them to help now.
Barnett said this is what they've trained for and he's ready to go as soon as he gets the call.