Covering the nursing shortage crisis and emerging trends in nursing education

The nursing venue is in constant flux with an ever changing elderly population. Soon the baby boomers will be our elderly population needing nursing care, both in the hospital and out. But we must define “out.” “Out” can be in a nursing home, in an assisted living facility, or now, many choose to stay at home.

Read more ...

In articles previously written, we discuss shortages of nurses. What is the cause – not enough applicants many perceive. But not everywhere! In many places it is the educational faculty that is at fault.

Read more...

Now is the time to become a nurse. There is a shortage. With a shortage, there is an accessibility to find a position in a local hospital, help in the aftermath of Katrina, act as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (ACNPs), work in the area of genetic nursing, end of life nursing, and preparing for bioterrorism – the opportunities are great and the ability to find your passion in many different fields are given through these opportunities.

Read more ...

It was recently brought to my attention that there are currently 1,100 unfilled budgeted faculty nursing positions nationally. Donna Snelson, chairwoman of the College Misericordia nursing department feels the pressure, with positions currently open and an expected 64% replacement need in nurse educators over the next 5 years.

Read more ...

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

I recently signed up to receive email alerts from Yahoo! for the phrase "nursing shortage". Surprisingly I have been slammed with news headlines published daily regarding this crisis and how much it's costing health care facilities to recruit qualified nurses and to retain their current nursing staff.

Today's headline from WLBT.com caught my attention:

Mississippi's Nurses Association is pushing legislation to help deal with the state's nursing shortage. Members say one problem is retaining teachers at the state's six nursing schools.

The organization supports a House bill giving nursing faculty $12,000 in incentives over the next three years.

Full Story

This is an ideal time for registered nurses to start continuing education to become healthcare educators. Take a chance to request 100% tuition reimbursement from your employer -- many of them are paying for nurses to earn their degrees online as incentive for employee retention.

University of Phoenix is proving to be one of the most popular nursing schools offering RN to MSN and Nurse Educator degrees online.

I came across a news site today that put a very interesting spin on a Nursing Degree program available that promotes an "accelerated" Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. The article's subtitle alone, "UW-Oshkosh's accelerated nursing program looks to address the national nursing shortage", praises this program as a legitimate solution to the overwhelming demand for qualified nurses.

But read on and somewhere near the end it states that there is no information regarding the quality of nurses that the program is graduating. Having personally experienced the extensive studying and time commitment required for a standard 2-3 year RN to BSN Online program, I am a bit concerned about the corners being cut to "accelerate" the learning process.

Many of my posts have been griping about the lack of answers to the nursing shortage and I am, in a way, relieved that a program like this exists. It's certainly easier to swallow than recruiting nurses from other countries. But as a patient, I personally would be very concerned knowing that my health care is depending on a 1-year crash course in nursing.

More on UW-Oshkosh's Accelerated Nursing Program

Other RN to BSN Online Degree Programs