Job prospects looking better

qdogpa
Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:12:47 +0000

Although the recent economic recession helped stem the growing shortage of nurses, nursing schools are struggling to keep up with the high demand expected in the next few years, the Washington Times reports.

According to the Times, nursing schools presently are understaffed. As a result, many top-rated nursing programs have turned away hundreds of potential students in the past two years. For example, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities admitted 64 if 324 total applicants this year. Meanwhile, the University of Washington-Seattle admitted 95 of 455 applicants, and the University of Pittsburgh admitted 120 of 1,050 applicants in 2010.

Joanne Spetz, an associate professor at the University of California-San Francisco and a specialist in health economics, notes that the current lull in the nursing shortage also could cause lawmakers to withdraw funding for nursing schools. Some nursing school officials say that already is happening, the Times reports. Kristen Swanson, dean of the University of North Carolina’s (UNC) School of Nursing, said that UNC reduced its undergraduate nursing program by 25% this year, largely because of state funding cuts (Courchane, Times, 6/6).

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