NURSING

According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), at the end of December 2006, there was a shortage of 116,000 registered nurses in American hospitals. The State of Tennessee plans to help remedy that situation.

An article in the Jackson Sun Times states that the Tennessee Board of Regents has introduced a solution that may provide the necessary nursing staff for years to come.

A new online degree program has been approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing for community colleges –an associate of applied science in nursing degree (AASN).  This 2-year degree includes the flexibility of online learning for those pursuing fundamental nursing coursework.

The AHA report, entitled “The 2007 State of America’s Hospitals — Taking the Pulse“, indicates the importance of addressing staff shortages now in order to avoid even greater gaps in future patient hospital care.

At the moment, most colleges maintain waiting lists for nursing coursework; so the problem is not rooted in a lack of career interest by nurses-to-be. But instead, there are more people interested in nursing than there are spaces in colleges to accommodate them.

And current online nursing programs are limited to those who already have at least 1-2 years of medical education under their belt, as licensed vocational or licensed practical nurses, and have met the requirements to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

Beginning in the spring of 2008, nine Tennessee community colleges will offer this new blended degree, which includes 360 minimum hours of online coursework in conjunction with 630 hours of hands-on clinical training and lab experience. Students who have no medical background would be eligible to enroll in the program; and 100 students per year are expected take part by 2009.

Graduates would be eligible to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing, either online or on-campus. Perhaps Tennessee’s innovative nurse’s training model will become popular at community colleges around the nation so that a trip to the hospital becomes a safe, win-win situation for John Q. Public.

nursing, nurses, hospitals, hospital care, nursing shortage, online nursing programs, bachelors degree, online degree program, associate of applied science in nursing degree, Tennessee, online learning

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