The Nursing Shortage

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As baby boomers in the United States age, the demand for qualified nurses is increasing. Because of the shortage of qualified nurses, registered nursing is anticipated to be one of the hottest jobs over the next several years. The nursing shortage means that many people earning their nursing degrees can write their own ticket to success.

Some contributing factors impacting the nursing shortage:

• Enrollment in schools of nursing is not growing fast enough
• Limited nursing school faculty
• With fewer new nurses, the average RN age is climbing
• An aging US population

There are many studies on how this shortage is preventing people from getting the quality care they deserve. The March 2006 issue of Nursing Economic$ noted that, "A comprehensive analysis of several national surveys on the nursing workforce found that (a) majority of nurses reported that the RN shortage is negatively impacting patient care and undermining the quality of care goals set by the Institute of Medicine and the National Quality Forum."

What's Being Done to Address the Nursing Shortage?

The American Association of College of Nursing (AACN) is extremely concerned about the shortage and is diligently working with schools, policy makers, the media and other organizations to bring attention to this health care crisis.

The AACN compiled a number of nationwide strategies taking place to address the nursing shortage:

• In 2006, many statewide initiatives were started to encourage current nurses to return to school to earn graduate degrees to teach the next generation of nurses.
• Nursing colleges and universities are forming strategic partnerships and seeking private support to help expand student capacity in schools.
• In June 2005, the US Department of Labor awarded more than $12 million in grant-funding through the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative - $3 million of which will help to address the nurse faculty shortage.

Online Nursing Programs to the Rescue

Nursing schools are increasingly unable to accommodate the influx of new students because they don't have enough space or qualified teachers. To make up for this challenge, one thing that schools such as University of Phoenix, South University and Kaplan University are doing is developing high-quality online nursing programs.

Advantages of Online Nursing Programs

Sheila Marks, DNS, APRN, BC, is an Associate Professor of Nursing at South University in Savannah, Georgia. Marks is careful to explain, online nursing programs are not secondary to traditional programs—they are filling a void and offering students wait-listed at traditional schools an alternative. "The prospective students on waiting lists now are not marginal students. They are good students who can't get into nursing school because there is not enough faculty," she said.

Online nursing programs in particular offer many benefits. "You can choose when you want to do your school work," Marks said. "You aren't locked into a specific day or time, and you don't have to sit in a classroom."

At South University, nursing students can take all of their classes online. Online nursing courses are complemented by practicums that can be completed at local clinics and hospitals. This allows students to earn Master of Science degrees in Nursing while working full time. Read Sheila Marks's interview in its entirety.

What You Can Do

Get the facts about online nursing programs. Navigate through this comprehensive Online Nursing Education Resource Center to learn about the field of nursing first-hand from nurses. Find out if nursing is right for you.

"There are many reasons why prospective students should consider nursing," Marks said. "The field offers an active, varied work environment and job security. There is also flexibility—most nurses can either work part time or full time."

Anyone who is interested in science and enjoys working with others should apply to nursing school. "We want the best and the brightest to enter the profession," she said. An aptitude for science is critical. Marks said that the emphasis on science is much more now than when she was in nursing school in the 1970s.

What are her final words of advice for the would-be nurse? "Do it!" she said enthusiastically. But, she warned, "It is a rigorous scientific field, so take it seriously."

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