Daily Skiff

Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Michael Bou-Nacklie Megan Marks, a sophomore nursing major, makes a general assessment of Alex Hall, a sophomore nursing major. Over the next 15 years, 70 percent of Texas nursing instructors will retire causing a shortage of over a million nurses by 2020.

To combat a nursing shortage that is predicted to increase to more than 1 million nurses by 2020, the College of Health and Human Sciences is focusing on student retention and graduate studies.

Donna Tilley, associate professor and director of the Harris College of Nursing, said the college already has a high retention rate ranging from 85 to 100 percent, but she wants to be more aggressive in keeping students in nursing.

About 550 students are declared nursing majors, Tilley said, with about 110 graduates each year.

The college recently created the ACE program, Academic Excellence, which offers tutoring, test-taking strategies and study skills to help students with their grades, Tilley said.

Tilley said the program was designed to help students with any problems early on to make sure all nursing students graduate.

To help with the growing demand for nurses, nursing professor Dennis Cheek said TCU offers an accelerated baccalaureate nursing program that allows people with a degree in another field to get a nursing degree in 15 months.

"This year, we doubled the number of students we have accepted into our accelerated baccalaureate track," said Paulette Burns, dean of the college.

Orpheulia Rivers, Student Nursing Association president, said retaining young nurses was also her main concern. Rivers, a junior nursing major, said the association acts as a support system and makes students "feel like they're part of a professional organization." It helps members get through school and find the right job, Rivers said.

The major causes of the shortage are the aging workforce, less nursing faculty and an increasing need for better healthcare, Tilley said.

With the baby boomer generation reaching its 60s, Tilley said, there will be an increased need for geriatric nurses and nurses to replace those retiring.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools