If you are still having problems viewing this message, please click here for additional help.



Nursing School Enrollments Climb, But Faculty Shortage Still a Factor 

By the year 2020, more than one million new registered nurses (RNs) will be needed to meet the fast growing demands on the nation's health care system. Nursing school enrollment is on a strong growth curve, but a continuing shortage of faculty to teach those nursing students continues to compound the nurse staffing shortage.

This month, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released data that shows an increase in nursing school enrollment, for the sixth consecutive year, by 5 percent from 2005 to 2006. However, a record number of qualified applicants continue to be denied entry into nursing schools due to the lack of faculty, clinical sites and classroom space. The AACN survey showed more than 32,000 prospective nursing students were turned away this academic year.

"Future nursing enrollment increases may not be possible at all without a significant boost in federal and state funding to expand and better prepare new faculty as well as upgrade our nursing school infrastructure," said AACN President Jeanette Lancaster.

While the survey also found that the number of graduates from entry-level baccalaureate programs has increased by 18 percent over last year, another recent report by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) indicates that to adequately address the ongoing nursing shortage, those baccalaureate graduate numbers must increase by 90 percent. Although the recent rise in graduations continues to trend upward, schools are falling far short of meeting the growing demand.

The AACN report notes that increased interest in nursing careers can be attributed in part to successful public awareness programs including The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing's Future, whose Promise of Nursing galas have raised more than $9 million in funds for nursing scholarships, faculty fellowships and nursing school programs.

"The growing interest in the nursing profession is promising, particularly as an aging baby boomer population continues to place new demands on our health care system," said Andrea Higham, director of The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing's Future. "However, alleviating the nursing faculty shortage is a critical and necessary step for us to make real and sustained progress in closing this gap."

AACN's annual survey is the only resource for actual (versus projected) data on enrollment and graduations reported by the nation's baccalaureate and graduate degree programs in nursing. For more information and complete survey results, visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/.


Navigating the Holiday Shift, 'Tis the Season

For nurses and other health care professionals, the holiday season can often be the busiest and most stressful time of year. Existing nursing shortages are often further worsened by minimal staffing during the season. Illness and hospitalization seldom take a holiday--and nurses are among those professionals who work year-round, on evenings, weekends and holidays, while the demands of family and the season often pull them elsewhere as well.

This month, many professional web sites and publications offer tips on coping with stress during this time of the year. One such site, healthcare.monster.com, an online career site for many professions, offers the following advice:

Empathize with patients. Some patients may be dealing with intense feelings of loneliness. Take opportunities to help make the holidays more enjoyable for them.

Create your own holiday traditions. Team up with staff to host a potluck holiday dinner, or hold a gift exchange.

Invite loved ones and family to your workplace. If your employer allows, invite family members or friends for short visits during your shift.

Plan ahead. Being away from family functions can be extremely difficult. Planning and hosting holiday gatherings in advance can make this time easier on everyone.

Be prepared for the emotional toll. Statistics show that accidents increase around the holidays, when your thoughts may be elsewhere.

When nurses take care of themselves, patients are sure to reap the benefits by receiving exceptional care.

For more tips and information on managing stress while working during the holidays, visit http://healthcare.monster.com/articles/holidayshift/.



The Global Government Health Partners Forum 2006 brought together chief nursing officers and chief medical officers from around the world to discuss external and internal forces of the shortages of health workers, as well as prepare them to develop effective policies to manage the crisis.

 

Global Government Health Partners Address Health Care Workforce Shortage - CNOs from Around the Globe Gather with Support from Johnson & Johnson

Nursing leaders from around the world recently gathered in Atlanta, Ga. for the Global Government Health Partners Forum 2006 to address the critical shortage of health care professionals worldwide. Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) from more than 100 developed and developing nations participated in workshops to form partnerships and develop plans that they could take back to their respective countries.

The international health experts also met with leaders from the United Nations, World Health Organization, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among others, to develop effective policies for managing the crisis globally, regionally and nationally.

The annual conference is organized and hosted by the Lillian Carter Center for International Nursing at Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. This year's forum was the third international nursing conference hosted by the Center, and sponsored by The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing's Future. To see photos from the conference and learn more, visit http://www.nursing.emory.edu/lccin.



Karen S.
Schenectady, NY
CHN, Home Health Care Nurse

I don't remember the moment when I decided to become a nurse. After high school, my guidance counselor told me I was good with people, and I found myself in nursing school. After five years of experience in a city hospital, working mainly in med/sug. and orthopedics, I hadn't found my niche. When a friend recommended home health care to me, I decided to make a change. And what a change it was! In home health care, I realized I had to be a generalist, knowing a little about all areas of nursing. I had to rely on my own skills and insights to assess and care for my patients in their homes. For me, the autonomy of home health care is energizing, allowing me to apply all of my clinical skills as well as my creativity and compassion to care for patients. I can devote my attention to one patient at a time and give the individualized care and education they and their families need.

Nursing Videos Now Available on Google

The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing's Future is pleased to announce that several videos, including Making a Difference, Nurse Scientists and Patient Perspectives can now all be located through the Google search engine. To view these videos, please click on the Google links below:

Making a Difference

Nurse Scientists

Nurses - Patient Perspectives, part 1
Nurses - Patient Perspectives, part 2

Free copies of these videos and other Campaign materials may be ordered online at http://www.discovernursing.com/.