For the ninth consecutive year, 2009 seen nursing schools increasing its enrollments, according to the American Association of College Nursing (AACN). The boost was 3.9 percent over the previous year and nearly 40,000 qualified applicants were turned away due to resource and faculty limitations, which has been the growing trend in the past several years. Another report, from the National League of Nursing put the number of qualified applicants turned away in 2008 at almost 99,000 and for the same reason: not enough teachers, classrooms or what a nursing student would need to be successful.

The AACN's first round figures from the yearly nursing school assessment for 2009 showed that enrollment in master's programs for nursing climbed by 9.6 percent and in doctoral programs the numbers jumped by 20.5 percent.

The American Organization of Nurse Executives (ALONE)'s president, Donna Herrin-Griffith stated that the report of increased enrollment was welcome news. "As health care reform efforts continue and pressures to expand primary, preventative and transitional care increase, it is critical that talented individuals who want to pursue nursing in both entry and advanced practice levels have the opportunity to access a quality education," she said.

But for all the nursing school increases, there is a shortage of nursing staff in the 'real-world.' A shortage of nurses will cripple this country if not addressed in the near future. According to a spokesman at Vanderbilt University, the shortfall of registered nurses will reach a staggering 260,000 by 2025, this as baby boomers become more fragile with age and require more and more care with every passing year.

Hoping to address the precise challenges that nursing instruction poses, several groups are combining forces with 30 state teams in order to redesign the system which would allow new graduates to come into the labor force with the skills they need to serve patients in long-term facilities in addition to clinics and hospitals.

Joining the 30 state teams from across America is the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Center to Champion Nursing in America. What they want to accomplish is to help colleges and universities be able to graduate tens of thousands of nurses each year. Currently the problems are a deficient in the tactical joint venture between university and college programs; and inadequate medical sites that would supply the practical know-how necessary for proficiency progress.

The goal of the CCNA is to share original advancements to building training competence in the nursing schools as well as ensure the best applications from around the nation are integrated into clinical nursing education.

Although it is not solely the responsibility of the nursing educator to combat the nursing shortage or build a reliable 21st century nursing staff; it is within the educational system to help encourage a greater number of students to enter the workforce fully prepared with the skills they need to thrive in the ever changing landscape of healthcare.

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