Georgia
Georgia grapples with nation's second worst nursing shortage
Nursing shortage hitting Georgia hard
There are not enough nurses to go around in Georgia. The nationwide shortage has hit the Peach State particularly hard.
ATLANTA – A nationwide nursing shortage is hitting Georgia especially hard. Right now, there just aren’t enough nurses to go around. The state is expected to have the second-worst shortage in the nation over the next decade. Experts say low pay and high stress are causing more nurses to leave Georgia, even abandon the field altogether.
Andrea Castellano, a student at Emory University’s nursing school, has heard the stories of long hours and tough conditions for nurses, especially during the pandemic. “Just nurses realizing there wasn’t a safe environment for them to continue their profession,” Castellano said. “Although there isn’t maybe the best support, there is always going to be a need for nurses in hospitals.”
Georgia will need more students like Castellano who want to become nurses to make up for a big shortfall. “I realize that this is where I want to dedicate my time,” Castellano said.
According to the federal Health Resources Service Administration, Georgia has more than 20% fewer registered nurses than it needs.
That is “pretty acute,” said Chelsea Hagopian, an Assistant Clinical Professor at Emory School of Nursing and Executive Director of the Georgia Nursing Workforce Center. “We’re certainly feeling it.”
Many nurses complain of low pay. “When looking at the difference between employed versus licensed RN’s when compared to other states, we do see a difference,” Hagopian said.
Others point to burnout from the pandemic, some calling it quits. “We saw accelerated retirement,” Hagopian said. “We saw nurses in their early career leaving the profession altogether.”
The nursing shortage could grow far worse if that trend doesn’t improve. “We need to consider the context of faculty shortage. Nursing schools need faculty to be able to educate the next generation of nurses,” Hagopian said.
Hagopian says the health care system needs to look at launching nurse-residency programs, improve work conditions and make nurses feel more valued overall.
The challenges don’t discourage Castellano. “Regardless of the shortage I still really want to consider this pathway,” she said.
They were designed to hold a drink, but cups produced in Rome, Georgia, have become one of the FIFA Men’s World Cup’s most unexpected souvenirs.
Inside the Top Cup plant in Rome, millions of cups were created to celebrate the world’s biggest sporting event.
“We made 10 million over 70 different graphics for the World Cup,” said Rome native and Top Cup General Manager Zach Dixon.
The plant in north Georgia produces up to 750,000 cups a day.
“We’ve always been really proud of the cup … but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Top Cup CEO David Cuthbert.
Fans have been taking them home from matches. Some have even been listed for sale online.
“We’ve always been really proud of the cup… but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Cuthbert.
Dixon said they begin the process with massive coils of aluminum, each weighing about 30,000 pounds. The metal is stamped, stretched, washed, and moved down the line.
The plant produces about 1,100 cups every minute.
Ricardo Marques, the senior vice president of marketing for Michelob ULTRA, said that there have been venue-specific, match-specific, and Finals-specific stadium cups for the World Cup. There are also three separate red, white, and blue designs available for fans at bars and restaurants around the U.S.
“We’ve seen an incredible response to the collection. Together, these commemorative cups give fans a unique keepsake and a lasting reminder of an unforgettable FIFA World Cup experience and the moments that brought millions of people together through the world’s game,” Marques said.
Cuthbert said his company has seen how the World Cup has done wonders for metro Atlanta businesses.
“Our team in Rome, Georgia takes tremendous pride in helping bring this fan experience to life for one of the world’s biggest sporting events,” he said.
So when soccer fans celebrate the surprise victory or mourn their last-minute loss, they’re doing so with a little piece of Georgia.
Athlon Sports projected the best SEC games for each week of the 2026 regular season.
The conference features some of the most compelling matchups in all of college football, from opening weekend through rivalry week. The selections emphasize games anticipated to have the biggest impact on the SEC championship race and College Football Playoff picture.
Florida’s annual clash with Georgia was tabbed as one of the SEC’s premier fixtures. The game has grown in national significance since it began in 1904, continuing as a battle of blue-blood programs that routinely produces iconic results. The game temporarily moves to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta during the Jacksonville stadium renovations.
The Jon Sumrall era carries with it an increasing sense of belief — many experts see the Gators as a dark-horse CFB playoff contender. Regardless of its final win-loss record, UF will play a part in shaping the season’s narrative as they face several post-season favorites in Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma.
Noted in the article is the SEC’s depth and newly implemented nine-game conference schedule. Georgia, Texas, Alabama and LSU appear multiple times on this list, with Georgia facing Alabama in Week 6 and Ole Miss in Week 10 while LSU hosts Clemson in Week 1 and will see Texas in Week 11 take on Alabama.
Many contenders from the SEC face multiple nationally relevant foes over the course of the season.
Athlon Sports’ Best game for every week of the 2026 season
- Week 1: Clemson at LSU (Sept. 5)
- Week 2: Ohio State at Texas (Sept. 12)
- Week 3: LSU at Ole Miss (Sept. 19)
- Week 4: Oklahoma at Georgia (Sept. 26)
- Week 5: Auburn at Tennessee (Oct. 3)
- Week 6: Georgia at Alabama (Oct. 10)
- Week 7: Alabama at Tennessee (Oct. 17)
- Week 8: Ole Miss at Texas (Oct. 24)
- Week 9: Florida vs. Georgia (Atlanta) (Oct. 31)
- Week 10: Georgia at Ole Miss (Nov. 7)
- Week 11: Texas at LSU (Nov. 14)
- Week 12: Texas A&M at Oklahoma (Nov. 21)
- Week 13: Texas at Texas A&M (Friday) (Nov. 27)
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