Accredited Nursing Schools

While some report that the nursing shortage in many parts of the country has eased others, such as the Tri-Council for Nursing, have expressed concerns about a diminished "pipeline" of registered nurses. As well, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that there have been reports from parts of the country about a lack of young workers to fill the positions of an aging registered nurse workforce, at least in part of because of a faculty shortage in nursing programs. The Tri-Council for Nursing, encouraging registered nurses to recognize entry-level nursing trends, has also encouraged them to advance their careers. There are urgent needs particularly for nurse educators and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, the Tri-Council noted.

At least half a dozen New Mexico institutions alone have nevertheless added new graduate degree programs as of late, according to a May article in New Mexico Business Weekly. The new programs include a nursing offering from ITT Technical Institute's Albuquerque location, the New Mexico Business Weekly article noted. A master's degree nursing program scheduled to begin at Mountain State University in Altamonte Springs, Fla., in October, on the other hand, is designed to address a rarely recognized nursing instructor shortage, according to what Mountain State Orlando Executive Director Randy White was quoted in an August Orlando Business Journal article as saying.

Vanderbilt University also has partnerships with colleges and universities throughout the country, through which students working toward liberal arts degrees can at the same time study toward a masters degree in nursing. Through a Regis University CHOICE (Connecting Health Occupations with Innovative Curriculum and Experience) bachelor of science in nursing, evening classes are conducted on campus twice weekly and clinical experiences are held during weekends. Regis, along with several other institutions, also offers an accelerated nursing program for those who hold bachelor's degrees in other disciplines.

Creighton University in Nebraska and Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, two top nursing schools, allow participants in these full-time programs to earn a bachelor's in nursing in 12 months. Instruction in accelerated nursing programs is often intense, and students typically go without breaks between sessions, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Accelerated degree programs typically don't include liberal arts courses, the association notes. At Quinnipiac University, the accelerated nursing program focus is nursing courses. Institutions might also have different entry requirements, such as a Creighton University requirement that students have completed prerequisite courses in advance.

By expanding nursing programs and making them more flexible, colleges, universities and technical institutes are likely to produce more students with nursing degrees. Graduates who move into the nursing profession might find themselves fulfilled by their ability to help others. Registered nurses advancing their credentials through innovative nursing programs might become more marketable and more able to advance their careers while at the same time filling employment needs.