New AACN Data Show that Enrollment in Baccalaureate Nursing Programs Expands for the 10th Consecutive Year
December 01 2010 - 10:56AM
Business Wire
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has
released preliminary survey data showing that enrollment in
entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs increased by 6.1% from
2009 to 2010, which marks the 10th consecutive year of enrollment
growth in professional registered nurse (RN) programs. Preliminary
findings are based on data reported from 648 of the 807 schools of
nursing in the U.S. (80.3% response rate) with baccalaureate and/or
graduate nursing programs. Though enrollment is growing, nursing
schools point to a shortage of faculty and clinical education sites
as the primary barriers to future expansion.
“Given the calls for a more highly educated nursing workforce
from the Institute of Medicine, the Tri-Council for Nursing, and
other authorities, we are pleased to see that demand for
baccalaureate nursing education continues to rise,” said AACN
President Kathleen Potempa. “AACN applauds the efforts undertaken
by schools to find creative ways to expand the nursing student
population despite funding cuts and resource constraints facing
many academic programs.”
Demand Increases for Baccalaureate Nursing Education
AACN’s annual survey is the most reliable source for actual
(versus projected) data on enrollment and graduations reported by
the nation’s baccalaureate- and graduate-degree programs in
nursing. This year’s 6.1% enrollment increase for entry-level
baccalaureate programs is based on data supplied by the same 536
schools reporting in both 2009 and 2010. To download a graphic
depicting enrollment changes in baccalaureate nursing programs from
1994-2010, see
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/pdf/EnrollChanges.pdf.
Preliminary AACN data show a strong surge in applications to
baccalaureate nursing programs this year as a result of growing
student demand and changing employer expectations. The number of
applications to entry-level baccalaureate programs increased from
208,784 in 2009 to 226,675 in 2010 (8.6% increase).
The AACN survey also found that the number of students enrolled
in baccalaureate degree completion programs, also known as RN to
BSN programs, increased by 20.6% from 2009 to 2010 (469 schools
reporting). This year marks the 8th year of enrollment increases in
these programs and offers further validation of the need for nurses
to advance their education and for employers to cultivate a more
highly qualified RN workforce. Looking ahead, AACN will work
collaboratively with all 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 recent Future of Nursing report prepared by the Institute of
Medicine (see http://thefutureofnursing.org).
More Students Entering Graduate Nursing Programs
Preliminary data from AACN’s Fall 2010 survey show that
enrollment in master’s and doctoral degree nursing programs
increased significantly this year. Nursing schools with master’s
programs reported a 9.8% increase in enrollment (427 schools
reporting) and a 10.1% increase in graduations (389 schools
reporting). In doctoral nursing programs, the greatest growth was
seen in Doctor of Nursing Practice programs where enrollment
increased by 25.6% (113 schools reporting) from 2009 to 2010.
During this same time period, enrollment in research-focused
doctoral programs (i.e., PhD, DNSc) increased by 4.5 percent or 180
students according to preliminary estimates (117 schools
reporting).
“Moving more nursing students into graduate programs is a top
priority for the profession given the growing demand for more
nurses to serve as primary care providers, teachers, researchers,
leaders, and specialists,” said Dr. Potempa. “As the work to reform
health care continues, many more nurses with master’s and doctoral
degrees will be needed to provide essential healthcare service,
including nurses to serve as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
and in other specialty roles.”
Qualified Students Turned Away
Though interest in nursing careers remains strong, many
individuals seeking to enter the profession cannot be accommodated
in nursing programs despite meeting all program entrance
requirements. Preliminary AACN data show that 52,115 qualified
applications were turned away from 565 entry-level baccalaureate
nursing programs in 2010. This number far exceeds final data
reported on students turned away each year from 2005 through 2009,
which ranged from 36,400 to 42,981 applications. AACN expects this
number to increase when final data on qualified applications turned
away in 2010 is available in March 2011.
Based on data received from 367 schools of nursing, the primary
barriers to accepting all qualified students at nursing colleges
and universities continue to be a shortage of clinical placement
sites (66.8%) and faculty (62.9%). For a graphic showing the number
of qualified applicants turned away from entry-level baccalaureate
nursing programs over the past eight years, see
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/pdf/TurnedAway.pdf.
To help address the primary obstacles to enrollment growth, AACN
is leveraging its resources to:
- Identify the hallmarks of effective
academic-practice partnerships through a joint task force led by
AACN and the American Organization of Nurse Executives.
- Secure more federal funding for
professional nursing programs and students.
- Expand the pipeline of nurse educators
by offering regional faculty development conferences, administering
minority faculty scholarship programs, collecting annual data on
faculty vacancy rates, and identifying strategies to address the
shortage.
For more details on the need to prepare a more highly educated
nursing workforce and the nursing faculty shortage, see:
AACN Fact Sheet: Creating a More Highly Qualified Nursing
Workforcehttp://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/FactSheets/NursingWrkf.htm
AACN Fact Sheet: Nursing Faculty
Shortagehttp://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/FactSheets/FacultyShortage.htm.