Many qualified nursing school applicants continue to be turned away due to lack of faculty and teaching space, according to a nursing association analysis.
Enrollment in entry-level nursing programs increased 5.1% in 2011, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. But, while more than 169,000 students were enrolled, more than 58,000 students were turned away due to “insufficient clinical teaching sites, a lack of faculty, limited classroom space, insufficient preceptors and budget cuts.”
However, the good news includes more men and minority candidates are seeking nursing degrees, and a push for more nurses to receive their doctorate degrees seems to be paying off: Enrollment in doctor of nursing practice programs grew 28.9% in 2011.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 1.2 million additional nurses are needed by 2020.
From the May 01, 2012 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
