| Terry received the call that day that would change | | | | 3. Expedited time frame (USGBR, 2009). |
| their lives. Her brother called at 4 a.m. to inform her | | | | While the state of Georgia currently requires |
| that their father had been injured in a steam and | | | | Excelsior nursing graduates to do extra clinical hours, |
| chemical explosion at the plant and was being airlifted | | | | the Board of Regents admits: As Georgia is facing a |
| to the trauma center. Terry hurriedly made child-care | | | | severe nursing workforce shortage, one must |
| arrangements and raced to the hospital to be by her | | | | consider if Georgia can afford to deny entry of |
| father's side. For the next week her father slipped in | | | | nurses into the state from nontraditional programs, |
| and out of consciousness. Although she was starting | | | | and even if it should continue to provide nursing |
| her second year of nursing school at the local | | | | education exclusively in the same way it has in the |
| community college, Terry was forced to drop out in | | | | past (USGBR, 2009). Furthermore, Georgia recognizes |
| order to care for her father. In the hospital, her | | | | the need to more closely examine these |
| family witnessed the professionalism and caring of | | | | nontraditional methods (USGBR, 2009). |
| the doctors and nurses, and it inspired her to | | | | As American society grows and advances, |
| someday go back to school and fulfill her dream of | | | | consequences of this evolution are being felt. The |
| becoming a registered nurse. | | | | nation's population is expected to grow 13 percent |
| Terry's nursing program was not able to | | | | over the next 15 years and developments in the field |
| accommodate her need of flexibility. The traditional | | | | of medicine have raised the average lifespan |
| nursing education paradigm, with its "one size fits all" | | | | significantly over the past fifty years (AASCU, 2005). |
| approach has left many, like Terry, disillusioned and | | | | The nursing field will need to confront these trends, |
| wondering if there is a better way to reach their | | | | along with many others, as it finds itself with an aging |
| goal. In addition, competition for nursing school | | | | workforce, high turnover and the emergence of |
| acceptance has been affected by factors such as | | | | alternative job opportunities (AASCU, 2005). |
| high tuition costs, lack of hospital space for clinical | | | | According to the U.S. Department of Health and |
| work, and a shortage of nursing faculty (AASCU, | | | | Human Services, 44 states and the District of |
| 2005). More than three-quarters of institutions cite a | | | | Columbia are expected to have nursing shortages by |
| lack of faculty as the reason they turned away | | | | 2020, impacting hospitals, nursing homes, ambulatory |
| qualified nursing applicants (AASCU, 2005). | | | | care, and schools (U.S. Dept. Health and Human |
| Enter the nontraditional approach to nursing education. | | | | Services, 2002; AASCU, 2005). |
| The critical shortage of nurses has resulted in the | | | | While the traditional approach to nursing education is |
| recruitment of an increased number of nontraditional | | | | a proven model that has been used for many years |
| students who frequently fill multiple roles in life | | | | and has been recognized by state boards of nursing, |
| (Harrison, 2004). While enrollment at nursing colleges | | | | the following limitations cannot be overlooked with |
| has increased significantly over the past few years, | | | | the current critical nursing shortage: |
| many colleges are facing difficulties in keeping up with | | | | 1. Has not evolved with changing educational |
| demand (AASCU, 2005). The nontraditional approach | | | | paradigms and advances in healthcare. |
| has provided education to qualified students who | | | | 2. Is lengthy and expensive |
| otherwise might not have the opportunity to obtain a | | | | 3. Does not reach nontraditional students adequately |
| nursing degree. Single working parents, males, middle | | | | (USGBR, 2009). |
| aged adults, and minorities are just a few groups | | | | America's need to counter the shortage of registered |
| who have benefited from the flexible nature of | | | | nurses demands an examination of nontraditional |
| nontraditional education. Nursing school administrators | | | | education programs. Can the clinical and didactic |
| report that second-career nursing students typically | | | | elements of a comprehensive nursing program |
| bring an energy and intensity of focus to their | | | | adequately be covered in the nontraditional setting? |
| studies that their younger counterparts lack, and are | | | | The answer is a resounding YES! Nursing students in |
| often top performers academically. In addition, | | | | the nontraditional educational setting benefit from |
| potential employers value the maturity, | | | | flexible exam scheduling capability, brief, intensive |
| professionalism, and advanced decision-making skills | | | | clinical experiences that are rated by set standards |
| that older workers bring to nursing. In examining the | | | | and goals, generous time-frame to complete the |
| Excelsior College model, a nontraditional nursing | | | | nursing program, online ability to receive assistance, |
| school, the University System of Georgia Board of | | | | comparatively lower tuition cost, and the potential to |
| Regents Policy Brief cites the following stated | | | | seek advanced degrees in a similar, flexible manner. |
| benefits to this system: | | | | This is the wave of future nursing education in |
| 1. Diverse group of nursing students | | | | America. |
| 2. High NCLEX pass rate | | | | |