Nursing schools lack capacity

Hospitals are eager to hire more nurses, and interest is up, with enrollments and applications in baccalaureate and advanced nursing degree programs increasing last year. But nursing schools lack the capacity to meet the demand. Faculty positions require advanced degrees but typically pay less than nurses can earn through hospital employment. Many hospitals are partnering with nursing schools to find solutions, such as allowing hospital nurses to take time off to teach. "We have to put a real emphasis on the pipeline and making sure that everybody who wants to become a nurse has the opportunity to be able to secure a position in a nursing program," AONL CEO Robyn Begley, who is also American Hospital Association chief nursing officer and senior vice president of workforce, told NPR. (NPR article, 10/25/21)