North Carolina Lawmakers Consider Nurse Faculty Fellows Program

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

North Carolina Lawmakers Consider Nurse Faculty Fellows Program

A group of North Carolina lawmakers charged with recommending ways to stave off a nursing shortage is considering creating a nurse faculty fellows program - much like the state's teaching fellows grants - that would be sponsored by state and private funds. While the nationwide nursing shortage has not yet hit North Carolina as badly as some other states, the demand for nurses is expected to increase drastically and the state's schools already have

waiting lists because they do not have enough instructors.

"People are flocking towards the nursing profession, but we're turning qualified applicants away," said Brenda Cleary, executive director of the North Carolina Center for Nursing. According to the center's data, fewer than half of the nearly 15,000 qualified candidates were offered admission to the state's nursing programs in 2003. About 2,300 nurses graduated in 2003-2004 from the state's community colleges - the largest producer of nurses. At the sametime, the demand for nurses is expected to increase by about 4,400 between 2004 and 2006.

Meanwhile, the number of qualified teachers is not increasing at the same rate. At present, the state has about 900 RNs in nursing schools, and the center estimates that as many as 225 more may be needed in the next couple of years. In addition, just as the state needs more nursing teachers, those who are now teaching are approaching retirement age. Another challenge in North Carolina is that the standards for teaching are getting higher. Most nurses do not have the advanced degrees that will be required for them to teach, and those who do can make more money by practicing in specialities than by teaching. "We demand a higher credential and on top of that, the salaries aren't competitive with the marketplace," said Sharon Tanner, associate vice president of instructional development and technology for the North Carolina Community Colleges.

The group of lawmakers studying the problem initially proposed spending $375,000 on nursing scholarships, with private funding having to match that amount. The money would provide $15,000-per-year loans to 50 students for nursing training, and - for each year the borrower teaches other nurses - the state would forgive a year of the loan. However, the legislators have indicated that they are willing to change their proposal based on what they learn in the coming months. The group plans to present a plan to their colleagues in May, when the North Carolina Legislature reconvenes.

http://www.nln.org/index.cfm