Dear Activist Staff:I would like to respond to the article “Nursing Shortage Contradicts RWC Waiting List,” which was published in the November 29, 2004, edition of The Activist. Thank you for raising the RWC community’s awareness about the nursing shortage and for the opportunity to share additional information.
Most people are aware of the shortage of nurses and this shortage is not likely to change much in our lifetime. Increasing numbers of older adults, changes in health care systems, and broader career opportunities outside of Nursing contribute to this situation. Even more critical is the shortage of nursing faculty, the average age in the U.S. today being 51. Hiring well credentialed faculty is no simple matter, nor is accommodating more students or increasing enrollment. We would be happy to accommodate more students if there were a similar increase in our clinical facility contracts where students could learn about clinical practice. Because Nursing is a practice based discipline, increasing students in the program must always be coupled with planning for additional students in many kinds of clinical settings. Understandably, our clinical agencies hold us to very low student to faculty ratios so that students get good supervision and guidance as they learn the discipline of Nursing.
It is true, as Ms. Carter writes, that many Nursing students take three or four years to finish the RWC Nursing program. This is due to a number of reasons: students have pre-requisites to make up before entering the clinical courses; our non-traditional, adult students choose to take fewer credit hours due to their many other roles and responsibilities, thus making their program longer. We see this as a strength, not a limitation of the program.
The Nursing Department faculty and staff at RWC are very proud of our graduates and their accomplishments. Approximately 90 percent of our graduates pass their licensure exam each year on their first attempt. It is our good fortune to have a nationally accredited and Ohio Board of Nursing approved Nursing Program at RWC.
My sincere thanks to the entire Activist staff and to their advisor, Professor Mike Roos, for an excellent student newspaper.
Marisue Naber, Ph.D., R.N.
Chair, RWC Nursing Department