Should we curtail the growth of nursing programs?

[MikeyBSN]

Although nursing was considered a "good" job when I started, it was nothing like what is being promoted today. After the economy crashed, I have seen an explosion in nursing program advertisements. There are new nursing programs opening all the time and I have recently seen programs advertising getting a degree faster than any other program. Personally, I think this is bad for nursing. Because of federal financial aid, these schools can and do recruit anyone who wants a job; not anyone who wants to be a nurse. Not only does this diminish the nursing talent that we have, it also floods the market. Just take a look at the unemployed nurses posting on here constantly. We have all seen this with other professions that were once "hot". People rush into them, hate what they're doing, flood the market, and move on. I, for one, do not want to see the for-profit American Colleges destroy yet another profession. Yes we need more nurses in the future, but we should limit the number of nursing programs to the projected growth. Is this protectionism? Perhaps. But I think that a little bit of nursing protectionism is okay in the face of a large amount of "big education" greed.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

You could say that about any school or profession, not just nursing. Please...no more government interference in our lives and our choices for "our own good."

[starfishlpn]

I agree with the original poster it is getting to be a bit rediculous and there are so many nurses who really got into it for all the wrong reasons (not that I ought judge to anyone else's motivation), and when you are miserable in the profession you chose whatever it may be, it shows in your work. It wouldn't be an over reaching government interference in our lifes but rather the state boards of nursing doing THEIR JOB and what is responsible for the staffing needs of their individual state. They have always had the power to approve or reject a schools purposal to start a new program and approve the number of students each program can accept.

I know that their have been rumors that the community college that my husband is currently attending nursing school is considering decreasing admissions to once per year rather than twice as another community college about 45 mins away has started a program recently and they don't want to flood the market. The issue is that for profit school would never make such a consideration as at the end of the day they, like any business, have to consider the bottom line and reducing or eliminating a program for whatever reason, so long as there are interested students, means they are losing money.

[hope3456, ASN, RN]

Refer to the post on the right side in 'nursing news' about a program in Denver that is closing it's ADN program d/t concern over acute care facilities not hiring ADN graduates.

I just hope people (considering nursing) are not being misled into thinking that nursing is still a 'hot job.' The employment situation was alot different 5+ yrs ago than what it is now.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

absolutely! and I think every program ought to take a semester off.

[Despareux]

When I first started nursing school, I had no idea there so many nursing students just in my area alone. I was sort of bummed because there are only so many positions available.

I do agree the schools should be more cognizant of their entrance practices.

[chicookie, BSN, RN]

I have to agree. Where I live is a decent sized city yet we have 3 universities that have nursing programs PLUS from my knowledge I think we have 3 other schools that also have RN programs. Way too many IMO.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

The fact that nurses don't control the output of nurses, as doctors do, is one of the arguments against nursing being a profession.

[Bhavana]

What I find interesting is that none of these nursing schools say anything during the applications phase about how you are going to need your BSN before many hospitals in my area will even talk to you about a job. They act as if after their 2 year program you will never have to worry about work again.

As for too many nursing programs attracting the wrong types of people, I doubt someone who really didn't have what it takes would last thru school and especially clinicals. Just the nature of the work involved weeds out those who shouldn't be there...and remember, not all nursing is bedside...there are lots of areas one can work in, many that don't even involve direct patient contact. I have no intention of spending my entire career on an understaffed, high stress med/surg floor. I don't even really like being around sick people.

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

Personal responsibility. People have to make themselves educated about the choices they are making. Why would schools turn away paying students because they may be entering a limited job market? By that reasoning, anyone that wants to be a bachelor's of general studies major, music performance major, or even psychology, should be cautioned that their employment opportunities are limited based on their choice of major. Fields that were quite well off 10 years ago are no longer hiring and there are likely fields that have barely any opportunities today that will be booming with jobs five years from now. Life is a series of choices, you make them and sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't.

As for judging the students that schools are attracting. Nursing doesn't have to be your "passion" in order for you to do very well in your career. I get a little annoyed when I hear that someone in the class is "taking the spot" of someone that has dreamed of nursing their whole life. The people that are qualified, get in, and sometimes there's a lottery component so there is some luck involved. And there will be some luck involved in finding employment after school, just as there is in any field.

We don't need the government deciding for us what we should or should not pursue as educational opportunities.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I believe it is unethical to take someone's tuition money KNOWING there are no jobs out there. Yes, many nurses will be retiring within 5-10 years, but who can hold on to a license that long before a job is available? To me it is irresponsible for schools to promote this behavior until a need exists. You just cannot put people on a shelf waiting for others to retire.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Personal responsibility. People have to make themselves educated about the choices they are making. Why would schools turn away paying students because they may be entering a limited job market? By that reasoning, anyone that wants to be a bachelor's of general studies major, music performance major, or even psychology, should be cautioned that their employment opportunities are limited based on their choice of major. Fields that were quite well off 10 years ago are no longer hiring and there are likely fields that have barely any opportunities today that will be booming with jobs five years from now. Life is a series of choices, you make them and sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't.

As for judging the students that schools are attracting. Nursing doesn't have to be your "passion" in order for you to do very well in your career. I get a little annoyed when I hear that someone in the class is "taking the spot" of someone that has dreamed of nursing their whole life. The people that are qualified, get in, and sometimes there's a lottery component so there is some luck involved. And there will be some luck involved in finding employment after school, just as there is in any field.

We don't need the government deciding for us what we should or should not pursue as educational opportunities.

Zoom out and look at the bigger picture.....keep producing nurses=too many nurses=no need for employers to treat them well. Whenever you want the price of something to go up, you limit the quanity and the reverse is also true.