Nurses Responsibility

The demand for nurses is now increasing in different countries. According to Dr. Merle Mast, head of JMU's nursing department, the U.S. Bureau of Labor will need 600,000 new nurses. The 500,000 positions that will open as baby boomers retire are not yet counted in the available positions.

Because good nurses think crucially, respond efficiently in complex situations and handle many responsibilities, good salaries, job security and tough career options are given to them. In JMU, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program continues to increase since 2004. Before, the program only accepts 50 applicants a year, now it accepts about 120 applications per year.

According to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Web site, above 40,000 students are turned away, because schools and universities do not have the required resources (like classroom space, faculty, and clinics), to accommodate many students. The number of faculty in the Nursing field increased from 10 to 26 in 5 years. The Virginia Board of Nursing requires the student faculty ratio of 1:10. In JMU, students are prepared for their job hunting since students already had a resume and file that show everything they have completed including a philosophy page stating the mission statement of a nurse. Their clinical duty is a 12-hour shift. [via virginia.campusrn.com]