Covering the nursing shortage crisis and emerging trends in nursing education

Here it is folks - straight from CNN... Ranking #1 on their "Five of the most unpopular jobs" article is Registered Nurse.

According to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there was a shortage of 110,000 RNs in 2000, or about 6 percent of the national demand. The shortage is expected to grow to 29 percent by 2020.

The title of this article is misleading though, suggesting that the list contains professions that people aren't interested in. However, in the case of Registered Nurses, there are plenty of candidates pursuing RN, BSN and Nurse Educator certifications. The complication lies in the fact that our population has increased dramatically, the baby boomers are beginning to require more frequent healthcare and a large generation of nurses are expected to retire in the next five years.

What are we doing about it? Well, there's hope...

• Nursing salaries are increasing for employee rentention
• Online nursing degrees are gaining credibility as the waiting lists for campus courses grow
• Organizations like Americans for Nursing Shortage Relief (ANSR) are challenging the Federal government to react on a national level to the nursing shortage
  

CNN article