Nursing Students Population Will Be Doubled In 8 Years Time

Allison Frazeur, 21yrs. old, graduated from the University of Portland last May. She is 1 of the 30 scholars of Providence Scholars Program which paid her tuition for her last two years in college and she agreed to work there in full time basis for 3years. She is not troubled in seeking for a job. She believes that she will work as a nurse at the Providence Health System. The scholarship program began in the school year of 2002-2003.

A coalition of educators, health systems and professional organizations joined their efforts to build up the Program in almost 8 years. Their goal is to boost the number of nurses and nursing educators in Oregon. Kristine Campbell, Executive Director of the Oregon Center for Nursing, testified that the nursing programs at community colleges and private and public universities enrolment has doubled. In 2001, nonprofit centre was created by the association, the Oregon Nursing Leadership Council. Their brief mission is To provide the leadership to solve the nursing shortage in Oregon.

Campbell added that in the year 2000, Oregon had 1,325 nursing students. The state had 3,009 nursing students by 2007. Based from 2001 Northwest Health Foundation report, the state will lessen nurses’ population to 20% rather than preparing for its demand by 2010. However, the increase of faculty members is only 20% despite the increase of their nursing students. There is a faculty shortage right now because nurses who want to educate only receive half of the pay of those in other nursing spots. The fast approach to retirement of more than 44,200 RN in Oregon is another problem. The average age of a CI (Clinical Instructor) is 52 while the average age of other nurses is 48. Even though there are many newly nursing grads, local hospitals conduct hiring in all fields due to economic crisis. [via]