Too many schools?

[Yuppers21]

Just a thought, and please excuse my ignorance of how the process works, but can the governing body that has the power to take away the accredidation from nursing programs due to inadquate NCLEX pass rates also control the number of schools in a certain area (by refusing to give accredidation) so as to avoid the current situation we have now? If a certain area has consistantly been flooded with unemployed new grads, how is it wise, reasonable, and in the public's best interest to allow even more nursing programs to open up in said area? Other than the obvious cash cow this lucrative business that nursing school has become, I just can't see the reason for this, yet it happens all the time.

[anonymousstudent]

Perhaps you could generate a list of alternative arguments. Use those critical thinking skills.

They wouldn't be there if there wasn't a demand. These institutions exist to make money. Which is fine, this is the United States of America - that's how we roll. The point is they have a right to be there. They are a company. Just like you have a right to live there.

But you are going to school in the area, right? Or you want to? Aren't you then contributing to the problem?

And explain this: If a certain area has consistantly been flooded with unemployed new grads, how is it wise, reasonable, and in the public's best interest to allow even more nursing programs to open up in said area?

I'm worried that I understand what you mean, so I would like clarification before I address it on the off chance I'm misunderstanding.

[Yuppers21]

Of course this is america, and as long as done within in legal boundries, a business is allowed (and usually encouraged) to open, run and ideally profit. So with that in mind, why should anyone discourage the opening of more schools as long as they can recruit enough business to keep their doors open right? But if that's the case, then by what means was it justified to require a minimum NCLEX pass rate of these same schools? As long as any of their students can pass it the first time around, what obligation do they have to ensure most of them do? If a school gets a reputation for having low NCLEX pass rates, prospective students would find out and most likely steer clear. Obviously someone felt it was necessary to intervene.

As far as if I am contributing to the problem, I guess one would have to define what the problem is then, eh? For me, it's ever increasing private-for-profit schools that are popping up on every corner, charging 3-4x more for an associates degree then what your typical community college or state university will charge. So with those guidelines, then no, I am not. I attend a competitive entrance state univesity who's nursing program has been around for 20+ years. But other's will disagree (and possibly be offended, to which I apologize, that's not my intent). Let's face it, a lot of people want to get into nursing. I don't care why someone wants to be a nurse, but current hiring conditions fail to support all those who feel that way. People want to be nurses, not just nursing students, so the real demand is not being supplied anyways.

[Yuppers21]

By the way, keep in mind I am not suggesting closing down current schools who are up and operating under present guidelines. All I am trying to stimulate discussion on is whether or not it would be a good idea for the BON (or whomever deals with this) to deny accredidation to new programs based on information from local stats that do not indicate a NEED for more new grads in the near future. Until hiring demand increased, accredidation for new programs would be witheld. Is this too communistic/socialistic for some? Believe it or not, I'm not sure how I feel one way or the other on it, which is why I would love to hear some discussion on it.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Most boards of nursing are too understaffed and under-resourced in general to pursue this type of activity. It would cost a lot of money to take on a wealthy school who could muster hundreds of alumni to write letters to their state representatives ... and to take on the armies of lawyers the school would hire ... etc.

It's really hard to do something like that unless the school has clearly demonstrated that its graduates are not competent over a period of several years.

[Streamline2010]

... If a certain area has consistantly been flooded with unemployed new grads, how is it wise, reasonable, and in the public's best interest to allow even more nursing programs to open up in said area? Other than the obvious cash cow this lucrative business that nursing school has become, I just can't see the reason for this, yet it happens all the time.

Who says that you, the nursing school grad, are or ever were, entitled to employment in the same community that you went to school in? If you can't find a job there, then you can move to wherever the job is, nationally or internationally. True, that first nursing job has often been obtained at a local place where you did clinicals. But if that job doesn't materialize, then you have to be prepared to relocate.

Colleges have, for years, turned out English majors, or engineers, or accountants, or teachers, and not all of them found work without having to move away from Collegetown. As a rule, I'd say that the majority of grads must leave Collegetown to establish careers, unless the school is in an area where job opportunities are expanding.

There are regions of the country that have no nursing schools at all, or they lack RN schools, or lack BSRN schools, or they lack LPN schools, or whatever. They might lack infrastructure, making it cost-prohibitive to build a new school there, Or might even lack a suitable population that will succeed in nursing school, or don't have a large enough population to fill a nursing school class, so that's why there is not a nursing school there.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

They are free to open them....and you, the consumer, are just as free to not major in nursing.

There are majors for Philisophy, Astronomy, Art, Women's and Men's studies, ancient languages, Ethics, Medieval Studies, archeology, etc. I would suspect that the individuals that major in those areas probably are going to have as difficult or more difficult a time getting a job in their town and field as nurses....but no one discusses limiting them. In the 80s, there were tons of business majors.....followed by few jobs for them a few years later.

It is your job to decide what to major in for your goals, not for government or boards to tell you by limiting your options.

[Streamline2010]

Just a thought, and please excuse my ignorance of how the process works, but can the governing body that has the power to take away the accredidation from nursing programs due to inadquate NCLEX pass rates also control the number of schools in a certain area (by refusing to give accredidation) so as to avoid the current situation we have now? ...

I have, in one instance, seen "the governing body" suspend and threaten to revoke the accreditation of an established associate degree RN program at a university, because of abysmally low NCLEX pass rates. It just so happened that their accreditation was suspended at the time that I considered enrolling there, and the school was still enrolling students, but both the school and the local unemployment office both warned me that the suspension was in effect. As it turned out, I moved out of that town and didn't pursue nursing. When I checked their stats 5 years later, they had regained accreditation.