Nursing

AACN Reports an Increase in Nursing School Enrollments

Nurse Leader Weekly, December 5, 2003

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AACN Reports an Increase in Nursing School Enrollments

Enrollments in entry-level baccalaureate programs in nursing increased by 15.9% in fall 2003 over last year, according to preliminary results released on December 1 by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). This increase continues a three-year upward trend, but it still does not address the current registered nurse (RN) shortage, which is expected to intensify over the next 10 years.

"With renewed calls on the national level for a more highly educated nursing workforce, it is very encouraging to see a growing interest in baccalaureate degree nursing as a career goal," said AACN President Kathleen Ann Long, PhD, APRN, FAAN. "The dramatic growth in enrollments this year is a testament to the innovative work of schools nationwide to expand student capacity in nursing programs despite limited resources."

AACN determines enrollment trends by comparing data from the same schools reporting in both 2002 and 2003. This year's increase follows an 8.1% increase in entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs last year (2001 to 2002) and a 3.7% increase the preceding year (2000 to 2001). Prior to the last three years of enrollment increases, nursing schools nationwide experienced a six-year period of enrollment declines that saw the student population shrink from 128,000 in 1995 to 104,000 in 2000.

This year's increase was substantial, but AACN sees the need for much larger annual increases in student enrollments to meet the growing demand for nursing care. In a report published in the November/December 2003 issue of Health Affairs, Dr. Peter Buerhaus and his colleagues found that "because the number of young RNs has decreased so dramatically over the past two decades, enrollments of young people in nursing programs would have to increase at least 40% annually to replace those expected to leave the workforce through retirement."

"Though the trend line is moving in the right direction, we recognize that schools are falling short of meeting the demand for well-educated nurses," added Dr. Long. "AACN will continue to work with federal legislators and stakeholders to fund programs that expand student capacity at the baccalaureate and higher degree levels."

The final results of AACN's 23rd Annual Survey of Institutions with Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Nursing Programs will be released in late December 2003. These results will include changes in enrollment and graduations in RN-to-baccalaureate, master's degree, and doctoral programs; nursing school enrollment changes by geographic region; and changes in the total enrollment of baccalaureate nursing students. Printed reports will be available in February 2004.

Adapted from The American Association of Colleges of Nursing.



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