Solving The Nursing Shortage
By Que Schafer, Thu Dec 8th

For years, hospitals all over the United States haveexperienced a shortage in nurses, nurse administrators, nursemanagers and nurse practitioners. Unfortunately, the shortagedoesn’t appear to be getting any better.

According to a report by the Health Resources and ServicesAdministration, 30 states currently have shortages of registerednurses (RNs). The shortage is expected to intensify over thenext two decades, with 44 states expected to have RN shortagesby the year 2020. Furthermore, the demand for nurses in 2012 isexpected to be 2.9 million, up from the 2.3 million that wereneeded in 2003.

There has never been a more appropriate time to pursue a careerin nursing in the United States. The total job openings,including new jobs and replacing nurses who no longer arepracticing, will be more than 1.1 million from 2002 to 2012.

The main reasons for the high demand of nurses in this countryinclude an 18 percent growth in population, an aging,health-obsessed baby boomer population, and extended lifespans.According to a report released in May of 2001 by the NursingInstitute at the University of Illinois College of Nursing, theratio of potential caregivers to the people most likely to needcare—the elderly population—will decrease by 40 percent between2010 and 2030.

The problem is one of simple supply and demand. Demand fornurses will grow by 40 percent by the year 2020, while thesupply of nurses will increase by only 6 percent over the sameperiod. The aging population of nurses in this country isanother factor. The median age of nurses continues to increase,and a large wave of retirements is unavoidable.

In August of 2002, the Nursing Reinvestment Act of 2002 wassigned by President Bush to address the problem of our nation’snursing shortage. It was intended to promote people to enter andremain in nursing careers, thus helping to lighten the growingnursing shortage. The law establishes scholarships, loanrepayments, public service announcements, retention grants,career ladders, geriatric training grants and loan cancellationfor nursing faculty. Funding for these programs is providedthrough 2007 by law.

To address the growing needs of today’s population, at least onecollege in particular is offering both undergraduate andgraduate degrees to motivated individuals interested in thenursing/healthcare arena. Founded in 1976, University of Phoenixis one of the original accredited universities to offer onlinecollege education with complete degree programs by use of theInternet. It is the nation’s largest accredited university, withover 17,000 highly qualified instructors, 170 campuses andInternet delivery worldwide.

University of Phoenix offers two Nursing/Health Careundergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RNlicense required) and Bachelor of Science in Health CareServices (BCHCS). The graduate degrees in the same field are:Master of Science in Nursing (RN license required), Master ofScience in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner (RN licenserequired) and Master of Science in Nursing/MBA/Health CareManagement (RN license required).

“The nursing shortage in this country is a major problem, butthere are some pluses to the dilemma,” said Barbara Sanner, theArizona Marketing Manager for University of Phoenix. “One

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of thebenefits to the shortage is that you can virtually write yourown ticket, meaning that you can work anywhere in the country,in any environment and the job pays well.” Typically, startingregistered nurses earn salaries in the $40,000+ range.

University of Phoenix’s nursing program has been accredited bythe National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC)since 1989. It is currently seeking nursing programaccreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education(CCNE). It is changing its accreditation from NLNAC to CCNEbecause most baccalaureate and higher degree programs in nursingare now accredited by CCNE. Currently in the U.S., about 70percent of baccalaureate nursing programs and 79 percent ofmaster’s nursing programs are accredited by CCNE.

The BSN program is designed to develop the professionalknowledge and skills of working RNs. One must have a minimum of30 nursing credits to become eligible for this program. However,a valid RN license satisfies this requirement. There are 13courses offered in this program, and three of them have aclinical component. Most of the courses are online, but studentshave the opportunity to do some of the class work in-person inresidency programs, for example. Students also have severalopportunities to interact with fellow students.

The curriculum consists of biological, physical and socialsciences, which contribute to the science of nursing and focuson the development of the nurse’s role as caregiver, teacher andmanager of care. All three of the clinical components requirespending 20-45 hours of practicum in five weeks.

“One of the key areas that distinguish us from others is thatyou can take classes at night,” Sanner said. “That is a big plusfor nurses, and our local campuses try to fit courses that workfor the tough schedule demands that nurses have.”

“We also have a strong foundation in the bio and physicalsciences,” Sanner added. “There is probably a perception in themarket place that we don’t have it, but that is not true. We’realso not just offering courses strictly for nurses going intohospital care. We have courses that prepare you to become nursesupervisors, managers of small-care facilities, geriatric wards,etc. We offer a broad basis for different kinds of nursingopportunities, not just hospital nurses.”

The MSN/MBA/HCM program is intended to provide nurses with theblend of advanced nursing and business management skillsnecessary to manage today’s health care delivery systems. TheMBA/HCM curriculum emphasizes the identification, analysis andsolution of multifaceted management problems that requiretechnical understanding and balanced decision making. If you arethe type of person who is driven by a desire to help people andto make a difference in people’s lives, pursing a career innursing might be the perfect career option. Enrolling in anursing program such as University of Phoenix’s gives studentsthe opportunity to aid people and make a very good living whilehelping to eliminate this country’s alarming shortage in nurses.

About the author:Que Schafer is a freelance writer for SearchForClasses.com. Tolearn more about online education visit http://www.searchforclasses.com or join ournewsletter at http://www.searchforclasses.com/newsletter/