Posted: 5/9/2011
The nursing shortage is on its way back and soon will impact healthcare delivery in the U.S. and around the world. The economy is recovering, healthcare reform is expanding the role of nurses, the oldest of baby-boomer nurses are starting to retire, and hospitals throughout the country are again recruiting and hiring.
In response, the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHSON) is preparing for the growing demand for nurses by adding openings to the Bachelor’s of Science to Master’s of Science in Nursing direct entry programs and extending deadlines for the two-year baccalaureate nursing Bachelor’s of Science program.
Applications are now being accepted for both the “traditional” two-year Bachelor’s of Science that begins in September 2011 for students who have completed their first two years of college and for those with a previous degree, and for the popular Bachelor’s of Science to Master’s of Science in Nursing direct entry that also begins in September. Financial aid is available for all programs.
Johns Hopkins also has added openings in its newest program, the Accelerated Bachelor’s of Science to Master’s with Paid Clinical Residency that begins in January 2012 for students who hold a previous degree. This unique program offers students a streamlined course of study to prepare as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. After completing an accelerated bachelor’s program, students complete a one-year residency – a full-time paid position as an inpatient registered nurse at Johns Hopkins and affiliated hospitals. Students continue to work in the full-time position while undertaking a part-time master’s course of study.
The JHSON expects the programs offered at the two entry points will attract 175 new students into the school and to the nursing profession; a number that will be welcomed by employers who are already struggling to find nurses who are well-prepared, well-educated, and bring the best of evidence-based practice to their institutions.
According to recent reports from nursing recruiters at the six Johns Hopkins hospitals – Bayview, Howard County, Suburban, Sibley, All Childrens (FL), and The Johns Hopkins Hospital – as these hospitals expand and experience increasing nurse retirements, they will “take all of the graduates you can give us.”
Their appreciation of Hopkins Nursing graduates is also reflected in the responses to a survey of 2010 Hopkins Nursing graduates regarding their post-graduation employment experiences. With nearly one-third of graduates already responding to the April 2011 survey, preliminary analysis shows 89.8% indicate they have found employment as a nurse while others report they are continuing their education at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere. Nearly 60% found jobs less than three months after graduation and a majority obtained their first choice in a position in their preferred geographic location. Respondents commented: “I’ve had people tell me that having Hopkins SON on my resume was a big bonus.” And “Having Hopkins as my alma mater was a huge selling point – especially with all the EBP [evidence-based practice] that we discuss/practice.”