QUITMAN, Ga. (WALB) — New numbers from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration project show Georgia will be short more than 12,370 registered nurses in 2026, a 12% gap.

Nationally, more than 263,870 RN positions are projected to go unfilled this year, with nearly 194,700 openings each year through 2035.

Dr. Courtney Jackson, DNP, says the solution starts at home.

A Brooks County native who started her nursing education at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, graduating in 2014, Jackson went on to earn her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Valdosta State University and become a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a path she says she never originally envisioned.

“My nursing journey spanned a decade,” Jackson said. “Once I graduated from ABAC in 2014, I knew I wanted to teach nursing and still do patient care. That’s when my professor suggested I do nurse practitioner but psychiatric nurse practitioner, becoming a doctor was not in the plans. But it helps me reflect back on my plans versus God’s plans.”

Now, she is turning that journey into a resource for others with the release of her book From Dream to RN: Your Guide to Becoming a Registered Nurse, now available on Amazon, and the launch of Jackson Nursing Consulting & Mentorship on Nov. 2.

A guide she wishes she had

Jackson describes the book as a step-by-step guide to help readers explore nursing pathways, prepare for applications, and understand financial resources for their education.

“I created this guide for aspiring nurses and also current nursing students to basically have a guide, something that I wish I had while I was going through my journey in nursing school,” Jackson said.

She said she wants readers to use it while trying to get into nursing school, going through nursing school, passing the NCLEX licensure exam and landing that first job.

For students intimidated by the long road, her message is to start anyway.

“Even though you can’t see the whole way, because I didn’t see the whole way,” she said. “Just take the first step... If you have to start, stop, start again. Just don’t stay there.”

She added: “Keep your eye on the prize.”

Starting early in rural South Georgia

Jackson said early exposure is critical, especially for students in rural communities who may think an advanced nursing career is out of reach.

She credits her own time in HOSA, the student organization for future health professionals, as a senior in high school for giving her that first look inside hospitals and nursing homes.

“I feel like exposure, community resources, health fairs will get that early exposure out there because we definitely need nurses,” she said.

Jackson also emphasized the power of a support system, especially for rural and first-generation students.

“You definitely have to have a strong support system,” Jackson said. “My mom, my grandparents, my aunts, my uncles, cousins, your village is very important. Just like they say, it takes a village to raise a child, it takes one for a nursing student as well.”

Jackson said she hopes students from Brooks County and across South Georgia see themselves in her story.

“She did it... People from my area, you know, the same walk of life,” she said of what she wants students to think. “I can do it as well.”

Consulting and mentorship launch Nov. 2

Building off the book, Jackson Nursing Consulting & Mentorship will offer structured, tiered mentorship:

• Aspiring nurses / pre-nursing: monthly sessions via Zoom or calls focused on accountability coaching — where are you now, what do you need to do next.
• RN to BSN tier
• RN to NP tier
• A la carte services: resume reviews, interview tips and preparation, and nursing school application reviews

Jackson said a website is coming soon. For now, interested students can connect through Instagram at @DrCourtneyEducates.

“I can hold them accountable. I’ve been there and nothing beats human experience,” Jackson said. “Everybody isn’t privy to the same resources, the same guidance. So this was basically the inspiration for me to create the guide.”

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