Welcome to our e-newsletter from the University of Kansas School of Nursing, “Career Ladder Conversations.” This letter encourages you to consider continuing your nursing education and to think about ways to use education as clinical leaders and educators. Our first e-newsletter for the year follows. Thanks for your interest!
Now is the time to start working on your Master’s in Nursing
A nursing shortage exists and is predicted to worsen. Additional Faculty and Advanced Practice Nurses are needed to fill growing needs for educators and expert clinicians.
The nursing shortage is receiving national media coverage. California recently passed a law that the maximum nurse/patient ratio must be 1:5. More nurses are needed to meet their criterion. On December 27, 2005 ABC television had a feature on the nursing shortage.
Some proactive events are in process in Kansas. A Kansas Board of Regents’ study showed that by 2010 Kansas will need an estimated 28,973 nurses or 6,800 more nurses than we currently have. Qualified applicants to nursing schools are being turned away because schools have limits on the number of students they can accept. The Kansas legislature asked the Board of Regents to recommend a program, including projected costs, of increasing enrollments to nursing programs to accommodate 250 more nursing students accepted by nursing schools annually. (Adapted from Sigman, B. ‘Not Enough Nurses”Sun Newspaper, December 22, 2005). This means more faculty, increased resources, and scholarships for prospective students will be needed. IN THE REGENTS’ PROPOSED PLAN SENT TO THE LEGISLATURE 2.1 MILLION DOLLARS WOULD BE ALLOCATED OVER 10 YEARS TO HELP NURSES & FACULTY MEMBERS OBTAIN MASTER’S DEGREES. Action of the legislature on the Board of Regent’s proposed plan will begin in January 2006. The Kansas Board of Regents is to be commended on this proactive work on the nursing shortage in order to assure quality health care of all Kansans.
For questions about how master's preparation can advance your career contact:
Anita Wingate, RN, PhD
(913) 588-1634
awingate@kumc.edu
For questions about admission to the KU Master of Science in Nursing program contact:
Deborah (Debbie) Stratton, MS
Graduate & RN Recruiter, Student Affairs
(913) 588-1623
dstratton@kumc.edu
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The University of Kansas Medical Center