CONTACT - Volume 8, Number 2
Undergraduate Program in Nursing

Much has already been said and written about the current and worsening nursing shortage. The reasons for the shortage are well documented. The aging population of nurses, diversity of career opportunities for women, the increase in numbers of people living longer with chronic diseases, technology that allows for the prevention and treatment of diseases, and the changes in the healthcare delivery system are some of the identified factors.

With increased awareness come increased activities on the part of those with a vested interest in the nursing shortage. Nurse leaders in service and education have come together to develop strategies to recruit talented individuals into the nursing profession. In South Florida there is a consortium of nurses whose mission is to address the nursing shortage through marketing of nursing as a profession in the media and through such programs as Shadow a Nurse Day. Hospitals and healthcare agencies also have implemented strategies which include scholarships for potential nurses, marketing to other regions to attract nurses to this area, and recruiting and supporting foreign nurses who are willing to work in this country. We receive calls almost daily requesting that Barry students perform clinical experiences at a given hospital or agency. It is widely believed that students frequently choose their place of employment from a clinical experience they had as a student.

Each of these approaches to alleviating the critical shortage of nurses will have positive effects. I submit, however, that there is an area in which we, as individuals who are professional nurses, can make an impact. That area is political activism.

Recently, a program funded by the state of Florida that provided financial assistance for students in the accelerated program in nursing at Barry was cut. This program was not just cut for nursing, nor was Barry the only private school affected by this legislative decision. The impact for prospective nursing students, however, is significant. Barry's accelerated nursing program meets the needs of students who are academically strong and are looking for career redirection. This year, we had our largest accelerated class ever, 45 students who will enter the profession after one calendar year as baccalaureate prepared professional nurses. In a time of critical shortage, this program makes a significant contribution.

Next year our funding will be severely diminished, and we anticipate the funding will be cut off completely if no action to reverse the trend is taken. Each of us can impact the direction this and other funding for nursing education takes. Political activism is not just something we teach as an abstract; it is something we expect that our graduates will embrace. This is your opportunity. Write and speak to your legislators. Tell them about what you do. Explain why nurses are so important. Remind them of the impact that the nurse has on the care of their loved ones. Urge them to provide scholarships for individuals wishing to pursue nursing as a career, to provide opportunities for access to nursing education through legislative programming, and convince them of the need for creative funding to support students' learning needs as they pursue nursing as a career.

We cannot stand by and hope that the hospitals, healthcare agencies, and nursing organizations will take care of this for us. It is incumbent upon each of us to do our part.

Linda Perkel, Ph.D., RN