UNLV nursing students dressed in bright red scrubs were hard at work Thursday at the university’s Clinical Simulation Center, where aspiring nurses can participate in real-life scenarios by treating mannequin patients.

Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) toured the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Nursing with faculty and nursing staff to discuss her work to address the nursing shortage in Nevada.

Deans say turning nurses into educators a ‘hard sell’ because of low wages and high academic requirements.

Admittedly, Imelda Reyes' path to nursing followed a non-traditional route, joining the Navy and starting in healthcare finance. Now a nurse practitioner and faculty member at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, it was also rather unconventional for her to volunteer as a graduation marshal just a few months after starting her new role. Following the "norm" wasn't what was important. Being there for her students—being part of something bigger—that's what Imelda cares about.

Nevada needs thousands of nurses for its booming population and many are calling for change to get more workers into the state. The Nevada State Board of Nursing estimates that the state lacks more than 4,000 nurses.

Dr. Imelda Reyes and Dr. Jennifer Vanderlaan discuss the bill currently up for discussion on bringing the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) to the State of Nevada, AB 108. The benefits to both nurses and the residents of the state are explored, including increased access to care.

Students accepted into the top 10 online master’s programs, as ranked by Fortune, have an average undergraduate GPA of 3.4 to 3.6. “You want to have a good, strong GPA because that is one of the measures that we look at,” says Imelda Reyes, associate dean of advanced education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Nursing and member of the Policy and Advocacy Committee for the National Association of Hispanic Nurses.