Nursing Degree Applications Up, But Demand Still Exceeds Supply
by Neal Brown
For the fifth year in a row, applications have increased for schools
offering a nursing degree according to American Association of Colleges
of Nursing. Unfortunately this continuing increase still can't keep up
with the demand as over 32,000 students were turned away.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Registered Nursing as
the top occupation in terms of job growth through the year 2012.
According to the latest projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, more than one million new and replacement nurses will be
needed by 2012.
Students are either looking for other careers or looking for other
schools. One resource that many students are finding helpful is the
website www.best-nursing-degree.info. In many cases students are finding out about nursing programs within their area, but offered by schools other than their closest public university.
One option that is growing in popularity is the accelerated bachelor
nursing degree. This program allows students with a bachelor's degree
in a different field to obtain a BSN in 12 to 18 months. This program
has grown from 31 schools in 1990 to 168 today. The program is intense
with 40 hours of class and lab time per week plus study time. There are
usually no breaks between terms either. The cost is steep as
well--$30,000 but many students are able to qualify for grants and
loans.
At the other end of the spectrum are part-time students that are
looking to change careers or need to work full-time. These students
take one or two classes per semester and will take several years beyond
the standard 4 to complete their degree.
The payoff? Starting salaries from $45,000 and up. There is of course
more advancement to the levels of nurse practitioners and graduate
degrees.
With demand continuing to outpace supply, all types of students that
are interested in the field are encouraged to begin pursuing a nursing
degree by viewing the resources at www.best-nursing-degree.info
About the Author
Neal is a College instructor with an MBA in Financial Management. More
information is available at Nursing Degree
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