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DiversityNursing Blog

Report finds enrollment growth in BSN programs slowing in 2013

Posted by Alycia Sullivan

Fri, Jan 31, 2014 @ 01:32 PM

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing released preliminary survey data showing that enrollment in entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs increased by 2.6% from 2012 to 2013, which marks the lowest enrollment increase in professional RN programs over the past five years. 

Findings are based on data reported from 720 of the 858 schools of nursing in the U.S. with baccalaureate or graduate programs. Although RN enrollment increased for the 13th consecutive year, nursing schools have identified a shortage of faculty and clinical education sites as potential barriers to realizing future growth and meeting the nation’s need for healthcare providers.

“Given the calls for a more highly educated nursing workforce from the Institute of Medicine, the Tri-Council for Nursing, nurse employers and other stakeholders, we are pleased to see at least modest growth in the pipeline of new baccalaureate-prepared nurses,” AACN President Jane Kirschling, RN, PhD, FAAN, said in a news release.

Preliminary AACN data also show a strong enrollment surge in baccalaureate nursing programs designed for practicing nurses looking to expand their education in response to employer demands and patient expectations. 

The number of students enrolled in baccalaureate degree completion programs, also known as RN-to-BSN programs, increased by 12.4% last year (among 512 schools reporting). This year marks the 11th year of enrollment increases in these programs and offers further validation of the desire among nurses to advance their education to remain competitive in today’s workforce, according to the AACN.

Looking ahead, AACN plans to work collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure that enrollment in both baccalaureate and master’s level degree completion programs for RNs expands even further to meet the recommendations outlined in the 2010 “Future of Nursing” report prepared by the Institute of Medicine, including a goal of 80% of nurses having BSNs by 2020.

Enrollment changes since 1994: www.aacn.nche.edu/Media-Relations/EnrollChanges.pdf

Fact sheet: www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/nursing-workforce

Source: Nurse.com 

Topics: increase, AACN, nursing programs, RN-to-BSN

Nursing School Enrollments are Up

Posted by Alycia Sullivan

Fri, Feb 15, 2013 @ 04:02 PM

Nursing School Enrollments are Up

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has released a preliminary report on the results of the association’s latest annual survey of U.S. nursing programs. The report shows nurses are advancing their education: Enrollment in all types of professional nursing programs increased in 2012, even though many fully qualified candidates seeking to enter the profession were turned away — 52,212 in all.

Enrollment in entry-level bachelor of science in nursing programs grew 3.5 percent in 2012, but the most notable increase occurred in baccalaureate degree-completion (RN to BSN) programs: a 22.2 percent increase from 2011 to 2012. This marks the 10th year of growth in programs of this type.

The DNP Is Popular
Graduate enrollments also increased significantly. Schools offering master’s programs reported an 8.2 percent increase in enrollments, while schools offering doctoral programs in nursing practice experienced a 19.6 percent jump. Research-focused Ph.D. programs reported a smaller increase, only 1.3 percent, but even at that level, 195 qualified candidates were turned away.

BSN Grads Are Far More Employable
The value of those programs is greater than ever. In a separate survey, AACN collected data showing that employers continue to prefer candidates with at least a baccalaureate degree. For the third consecutive year, AACN reports that BSN graduates are more than twice as likely to have jobs at the time of graduation as graduates entering the workforce in other fields. 

The data also reflect that graduates of entry-level nursing master’s degree programs, which are a popular choice for those transitioning into nursing with degrees in other fields, are more likely to have secured jobs at the time of graduation: 73 percent of candidates with MSNs versus 57 percent of candidates with BSNs. 

Even in a time of widespread nursing shortages, employers still want to hire the best-educated candidates. 

Source: WorkingNurse

Topics: BSN, AACN, U.S. nursing programs, nursing school enrollment increase

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