KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. She also focuses on issues regarding scams. Share your story idea with Megan.
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On Grandview's Main Street, class is in session at Taylor Nursing Academy.
Niesha Taylor, owner and operator, said the school fills a need in the community.
"I'm a nurse practitioner. I do psych, and I started Taylor Nursing Academy in 2022," Taylor said. "Our mission was to address the healthcare shortage; there's a major healthcare shortage."
Since then, she has licensed nearly 300 certified nursing assistants.
Taylor's program moved to Grandview last year from south Kansas City.
For students, the reasons for enrolling are personal.
"When I was young, my grandpa was on hospice, and the CNAs provided so much comfort and attention to him. I want to give back and provide that type of comfort to other families," said student Logan Thomas. "I'm going to Mizzou for nursing next year. This is a great way to get experience and start in the industry I want to be in the rest of my life."
Autumn Freitag is getting a jump start on her career in healthcare.
"I'm still in high school currently, and I do like taking care of people," Freitag said.
Thus far, she's thoroughly enjoyed the program.
"I do really love the course though, amazing group of people, amazing teacher," Freitag said.
For Lana Andula Briet, her path into healthcare was shaped by loss.
"My family is big into healthcare, and I actually want to take to the addiction side of things. I lost my brother to addiction, and that's what inspired me," Andula Briet said. "It's always nice to know there's someone there to help you."
Rosemary Nguedia said she's diversifying her healthcare education with hopes of using what she learns to give back.
"Hopefully I can go back home (Cameroon) and open a clinic and give back to the community as well," Nguedia said.
The five-week course costs $1,600. The first two weeks take place in the classroom, and the final three weeks are spent at a skilled nursing facility. Taylor said she has built state and local partnerships to help eligible students cover the five-week tuition cost.
However, she said some students — particularly those between the ages of 19 and 24 — still fall into a funding gap. She is now looking for additional options to help that group access the program.
"Just trying to look for better options for them, as far as state scholarships coming into play that would help meet the needs for that age group," Taylor said.
Taylor believes the demand for CNAs is not going away.
"There will always be a role for CNAs," Taylor said. "We are going to get older. There's always going to be an aging population that needs some type of assistance."
The academy is looking for students who are driven by genuine care for others, Taylor said.
The next enrollment period begins July 20.
This story was reported on air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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