There are many hot trends in nursing right now in regards to
the profession’s education, training and expectations. The education trends are
particularly interesting and relevant to many potential nurses thinking of
entering the field as well as those currently enrolled. The nursing field is
changing and evolving. Older nurses are retiring, and a new generation is
training to replace them. What will these trends in education mean for the next
generation? It’s hard to tell so far, but the following are a few interesting
points to look at which may help shed light on this subject:
Decrease in Enrollment
One interesting trend that many nursing educators have
noticed in the last year is a drop-off in enrollment of new nursing students at
various schools around the nation. The Adelphi University School of Nursing in
Garden City, New York saw a decline in new applications, for example, which
some experts attribute to a decline in confidence that new nurses will be able
to get a job. The economy is definitely a factor in higher education for all
fields, and experts across the board have attributed this type of declining
confidence to reduced applications for a variety of programs at colleges around
the nation. Most data still suggests, however, that there is a shortage of
qualified nurses throughout the nation. There just might not be a shortage of
nurses in more desirable places to live, which is the problem.
Easier, Newer, and More Advanced Systems
On a brighter note, there are also systems coming into place
that will make it easier to apply for nursing school. For example, the American
Association of Colleges of Nursing recently unveiled a central application
service that simplifies the process by making it possible to apply for numerous
programs at the same time. Several technological advancements have also been
made which enhance the educational process for nurses recently. These include
more advanced simulation systems that provide a more realistic clinical
experience for nurses in training. This can never completely replace actual
experiences with patients, but schools such as NYU are using these for as much
as half of their nurses’ clinical experience training.
Growing Number of Field Specialties
Another one of the hot trends in nursing education at the
moment is a growing number of specialties in the field. Forensic nursing, for
example, is becoming a very popular area of specialization. Trends like this
show that the field of nursing is diversifying, which means many new
opportunities for the nursing students of today and tomorrow.
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