| Nursing is one of the hottest jobs today and is | | | | strategies such as statewide initiatives to encourage |
| expected to be so for the next ten to twenty | | | | practicing nurses to go back to school and earn |
| years. Why is this? Primarily because baby boomers | | | | graduate or advanced degrees to teach the next |
| in the United States (or the world, for that matter) | | | | generation of student nurses. Universities and nursing |
| are aging and they are living longer because of | | | | colleges also formed partnerships and sought private |
| increasing medical advancements and technologies. | | | | support to increase student capacity in nursing |
| There is a shortage of nurses today and the | | | | schools. The US Department of Labor also did its |
| increasing demand will only exacerbate this shortage. | | | | share by awarding more than $12 million in grants |
| Those who are earning their nursing degrees can be | | | | through the President's High Growth Job Training |
| assured or of a long-term and high-paying job well | | | | Initiative. Of the $12 million, $3 million will go to |
| into the future. | | | | address the shortage of nursing faculty. |
| Factors contributing to the nursing shortage | | | | Online nursing programs made available |
| Aside from the aging population and increase in | | | | To make it easier for aspiring nurses and to |
| medical advancements, the factors contributing to | | | | accommodate more nursing students, a lot of |
| the nursing shortage is the fact that enrollment in | | | | universities and schools are offering online programs. |
| nursing schools is not growing fast enough to meet | | | | Schools such as Kaplan University, South University, |
| the demand. Also, there is a limited nursing faculty. | | | | and University of Phoenix have developed high-quality |
| Because there are fewer new nurses every year, | | | | distance learning programs. Not only is it cheaper |
| the average age of currently working registered | | | | compared to traditional nursing education, but those |
| nurses is climbing (which is about 45). Ten years from | | | | who have part-time or full-time jobs or family |
| now, a lot of these nurses will be retiring and new | | | | obligations can also take advantage of this |
| nurses are needed to fill their positions. In a study | | | | opportunity. Learning online offers many benefits, |
| published in the journal Nursing Economics, it was | | | | chief of them is the convenience of choosing when |
| reported that the shortage of nurses is negatively | | | | to hear lectures and when to do school work and |
| affecting the healthcare goals set by the National | | | | assignments. However, not because it is a virtual |
| Quality Forum and the Institute of Medicine because | | | | classroom doesn't mean it's a lot easier or takes less |
| it undermines the quality of patient care. | | | | time to finish. Courses, modules and lessons follow |
| How the nursing shortage is being addressed | | | | the traditional lessons and only differ in delivery and |
| There is a lot of concern about the nursing shortage | | | | medium. Online learning is also not for everyone. It |
| and the American Association of College of Nursing | | | | takes a lot of discipline, independence and |
| (AACN) is trying to address this crisis by working | | | | organization to successfully finish programs and pass |
| with schools, the media, policy makers, and other | | | | examinations. |
| organizations. Beginning 2005, the AACN implemented | | | | |