I have spent the last 4 years trying to get into nursing school. I had to jump through many hoops and work really hard but I finally made it. While I was going through this process I met many incredulous folks who thought I was a slacker or something. Over and over people will ask "Why did you have such a hard time getting into nursing school when there's a nursing shortage."
I've tried explaining this until I'm blue in the face but people don't seem to get it. I'm not even sure I get it. Anyway, can any of you think of some way I can explain this so that people will understand?
Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
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.
No, no, and no again! I mean, you have a person who has a 2.9 GPA simply because they had one bad semester, but their heart is truly in it for the long haul, and you have your 4.0 GPA student that doesn't really give a care other than the $$$ income - which one would you rather have as your nurse?
I'm an RN to be, come 2008, lol, and my school looks at everything - no interview, but they ask you for one heck of an essay - so we get people from all across the board, incoming GPA's of 2.8 to 4.0, and I really could care less as to what it was in the beginning - everyone's heart is in it, so good for them! Grades don't make the nurse in the end, it's the person behind the grades...
Your school is to be congratulated, in my opinion. I am not a big fan of essays as a tool for entrance but it's at least a start. If a prospective nursing student takes the time to make an effort to write a good essay, at least she/he has the desire to become a nursing student and a nurse, again, in my opinion. At least, everyone at this school gets a crack at getting into the program. I have to agee w/ "gsnitch2001", it the person behind the grades! Good luck in 2008, (why then? why not now? working on prereqs?)
We need more nurses, this coming from a nurse who sees to many vacancies at my hospital.
That's how it is for the program I'm trying to get into, though your position on the waitlist is decided by the order of application. Ughh........so frustrating. I'm taking time off at Ohio State to finish my prereqs for the nursing program at Columbus State so I can get a spot on the waitlist and finish my BA at OSU in the meantime. How frustrating.
Sassy,
Have you looked into other schools of nursing? Perhaps, all SON are having the same problem? Too many applicants, too few instructors. ?
Good luck with your BA and I hope you still have a desire to be a nurse when the opening comes.
All nursing educators reading these posts, what is the solution to get more people into nursing schools?
Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
Sassy,
Have you looked into other schools of nursing? Perhaps, all SON are having the same problem? Too many applicants, too few instructors. ?
Good luck with your BA and I hope you still have a desire to be a nurse when the opening comes.
All nursing educators reading these posts, what is the solution to get more people into nursing schools?
Thanks,
Wayne
The best solution is to offer nursing educators a truly competitive salary, one on an equal par to a nurse practitioner or CNM. It is reprehensible that many instructors make less than their new ADN or BSN graduates. I know that most instructors are not teaching for the money, but pure altruism and love for the job will not pay the house mortgage, buy groceries, pay tuition to put children through college, or put gas in the tank. Until the salary situation is remedied, the nursing instructor shortage is only going to get much worse (and it is already at crisis level in many parts of the country)
Another solution is generous tuition assistance to nurses who desire to teach and wish to pursue graduate school (such as the proposed Nurse Faculty Fellows Program in North Carolina).
As a recent graduate of a BSN program, we students did research and presentations on this very topic. What we found were what has been posted already--not enough master's prepared faculty to teach the students. You would think that with supply and demand--shortage of nurses, demand for more, that we could somehow increase the supply of nurses to the public.
In California, I've heard the nursing shortage is extremely in bad shape. Yet, I've heard that they are bringing in nurses from other states and countries, paying them very well, paying for housing, etc. It doesn't make sense that the money spent on this could be used to create and retain nurses from their own state. I am not just singling out California, as this is happening everywhere.
Let's face it. There is a crisis. And, band-aids are being put on this huge infected wound of a crisis. We will be feeling the implications of this for many years to come.
Hospitals are making major cuts in budgets, and nursing seems to be the first to be cut--like cutting out someone's Juggular and trying apply pressure to stop the flow.
Nurses are also sick and tired of the staffing issues, causing them to be overworked while underpaid, resulting in many to leave the profession entirely.
Overall, nurses are the least united, unlike doctors who stand up as one with a strong voice. How many nurses do you all know who are politically involved, write letters to congressmen, are active in ANA, etc?
Since the market strategy of supply and demand is obviously not working, WE nurses must take it in to our own hands to become accountable for the happenings of today. I urge all of us to get involved at some level, look for possible solutions at the organization, local, state, national level, and international level.
Hospitals can also recognize that nursing needs more masters-prepared faculty for the nursing students and offer financial incentives to get these masters degrees obtained. They could work closely with their local schools in order to get this accomplished and pay them competitive wages.
There is also an increase of Advance Practice Nurses, who, I am sure have many loans to pay off. Maybe their could be an incentive if they could teach for a year or two after graduating, that they could earn as much as an advanced practice nurse, and have their loans paid off. These are just some ideas thrown in the air, but we should be considering as many ideas as possible, and lobbying to get them into effect.
We cannot wait until it is too late, to start effecting change. Obviously, this is not a priority of our govt and the market system. So, let's make it ours. It is definitely within our reach and abilities.
Specializes in Endocrine (Diabetes), Pediatric Psych.
Good luck in 2008, (why then? why not now? working on prereqs?)
We need more nurses, this coming from a nurse who sees to many vacancies at my hospital.
Wayne
WayneRN... - Thanks for the good luck wishes! I've been taking my pre-reqs for the last 2 years, and just got accepted to nursing school for Fall '06 - that'll be another 2 years to an RN (BSN), and then I get to study for the CDE/diabetes educator exam, which is what I want to go into (diabetes education) - so people tell me I'm filling a double space (RN and diabetes educator), lol!
WayneRN... - Thanks for the good luck wishes! I've been taking my pre-reqs for the last 2 years, and just got accepted to nursing school for Fall '06 - that'll be another 2 years to an RN (BSN), and then I get to study for the CDE/diabetes educator exam, which is what I want to go into (diabetes education) - so people tell me I'm filling a double space (RN and diabetes educator), lol!
GSNITCH,
You are welcome!
If there is a position of both RN and CDE open and you are the best candidate for the position, then go for it! Best of luck in all you do. It's refreshing to see people so positive about the profession of nursing.
i realy want to be a nurse but the take only the best you need like stright A's and most of the people who applied to teh school are liek we are becoming nurses becasue of teh money i want to beome a nurse to help peopel its not fair that these peopel can becoem nurses just for teh money
Just because there is a shortage does not mean they are going to take any body to be a nurse. Plus, with the pre-reqs and waiting lists it does take awhile, simple as that. I have over 60 transferable units and I am just starting my BSN program in the fall....I have enough units that I could almost get my masters degree in somthing else before I get my BSN...
In California, I've heard the nursing shortage is extremely in bad shape. Yet, I've heard that they are bringing in nurses from other states and countries, paying them very well, paying for housing, etc. It doesn't make sense that the money spent on this could be used to create and retain nurses from their own state. I am not just singling out California, as this is happening everywhere.
And it does not make sense that when they do budget cuts the first thing they cut is higher education, making it harder for people to go to college.
i realy want to be a nurse but the take only the best you need like stright A's and most of the people who applied to teh school are liek we are becoming nurses becasue of teh money i want to beome a nurse to help peopel its not fair that these peopel can becoem nurses just for teh money
If people are getting into Nursing, just for the money, I fear you are going to be disappointed. I make fair money, would like to make more, but considering I have been a nurse for 15 years, it could be a lot better.
Specializes in primary care, pediatrics, OB/GYN, NICU.
In response to question #4. How is that helping the nursing shortage? Well,
if the people who flunked out of pedi. were never allowed to work with kids
I would say sure give them a license to use but don't allow them to touch
kids. Since it does not work that way and these are people's lives and they
did flunk; I'm not sure what your point is. Do you think and people who
flunked and the few who passed should all be grouped into the same class?
Why have tests? If everyone who went to nursing school graduated your right
there might be alittle less of a shortage, but I remember the worse student
in my class almost 20 yrs. ago-and I'm glad she's not a nurse
Here it is years later, and I STILL remember my peds rotation...we had to get 100% on our pediatric medication exams, or we would FLUNK the course and be kicked out of the program. Our instructor said "with a child, 1 medication error can KILL them...99% on a test is not passing!" She gave 3 opportunities to get 100% and every time the test was different so you could not just memorize equations. The first test of the course determined whether or not you got kicked out of the program. I got 98% the first attempt, 99% the second attempt and GASP my third (this determined whether I would graduate and become a nurse) and final time - I got 100%. Half our class of 40 students were at risk because of her exam. I agree in principle with that instructor about errors and peds. But if half our class had been kicked out of the program for 98% on an exam? Scary. Mine was the first class to graduate (5 years ago) and not lose a single person to dropping out or failing. But 60% of our class ended up on antidepressants and antianxiety meds. I think a lot of very good potential nurses are lost every year, not only due to lack of slots available, but also "military -basic training type" programs that seem determined to "break" you.
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lgh3285
4 Posts
i kno what ou mean. I am trying to get into nursing school now, its such a pain. Do have any schools that you suggest I apply to??