The United States is currently facing a nursing shortage that is expected to expand as the population ages. This claim is supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services July 2002 report, which states that if current trends are not addressed, the nursing shortage is projected to increase to 29 percent by 2020. This information indicates that in the near future the United States will have only two-thirds of the needed number of nurses. Make no mistake about it. If this forecast prediction becomes truth, the quality of health care delivery in the United States will deteriorate.
The reasons for this national shortage are varied and complicated. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing cites declining nursing school enrollments and graduation rates, as well as aging baby boomers requiring more medical care. Other reasons include nurses leaving the profession due to job burnout and dissatisfaction.
While Utah is not spared from the grim national picture, we do have something in our favor. Utah has plenty of qualified applicants. According to the University of Utah, Utah colleges and universities turn away over three times as many qualified registered nursing applicants as they admit each year. This is a troublesome statistic considering Utah currently has the third most severe nursing shortage in the nation.
Why are Utah schools turning students away? Nursing schools do not have the capacity to educate more students. Qualified students not accepted to Utah nursing schools will do one of two things. They will either change their major and abandon nursing all together, or they will leave Utah to gain a nursing degree somewhere else — after which they may or may not return to Utah to practice. I personally know several young potential-nursing students who have done just this because they could not get into a Utah nursing program. Time has come for Utah to address the situation proactively before it becomes critical.
Nursing schools in Utah need to be given the finances necessary to open the education pipeline, allowing Utah nursing schools to educate more nursing faculty and accommodate more students into the nursing programs. By educating more Utah nurses in Utah we can guarantee the nursing resources needed for the next 20 years.
So as we anticipate the coming Legislature, let your representatives know of your concern and support nursing education for the future of Utah health care.
Karen Lundberg, R.N., is a graduate nursing student at the University of Utah.