Nursing School Expands Enrollment for BSN Students

CHAPEL HILL - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing is expanding enrollment opportunities for students seeking a bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN).

The school will continue to offer a traditional 24-month nursing option and an accelerated 14-month option, but will admit students to each option twice a year, in January and May, starting in 2007. This change will allow the school to graduate 220 new nurses each year as compared to its 125 new nurse graduates in 2000-2001.

"The first group of baby boomers will be turning 60 this year, and North Carolina needs to be prepared for increased demands for nursing care," said Dr. Linda Cronenwett, the school's dean. "By moving to twice-a-year admissions and teaching BSN students year-round, we can maintain the quality of our prelicensure program while meeting the needs of the state through expanded enrollment."

UNC's enrollment expansion comes in response to recommendations made by the N.C. Institute of Medicine Task Force on the N.C. Nursing Workforce. In 2004, the task force recommended that nursing programs statewide increase the number of prelicensure registered nurse graduates 25 percent over the 2002-2003 levels by 2007 and place priority on increasing the percentage of North Carolina's nurses with baccalaureate nursing education.

The UNC School of Nursing's traditional 24-month option will expand from about 120 graduates per year to about 160 per year. Enrollment includes first and second degree candidates. The accelerated 14-month option will expand from about 40 to 60 graduates per year. Enrollment is limited to second degree candidates. Alternate extended study options will still be available for students as needed. Overall, lecture classes are expected to be smaller in size. Lab and clinical group sizes will not change and will remain small to accommodate clinical supervision and instructional needs, school officials said.

The school is adjusting the nursing curriculum to adapt to the newly expanded enrollment. The new curriculum requires the same number of credit hours - 65 - as the current undergraduate nursing program and is based on three semesters of course offerings a year: spring, summer and fall. It will offer a total of 20 courses taken by both 14- and 24-month students, though the pace of progression through the program will vary based on the option selected.

Each course in the new curriculum will be offered two to three times per year. The changes create a common curriculum for undergraduate students allowing for greater mobility between the traditional 24-month option and the accelerated 14-month option.

In addition, the school will work to develop new community agency partnerships and work with existing clinical sites to expand scheduling options for students that include weekend and evening hours. In addition, the school will collaborate with other schools of nursing statewide.

Under the fully implemented expanded enrollment plan, students will graduate three times a year - about 110 in May, about 30 in August and about 80 in December - for a total of about 220 graduates a year.

"There will be a period of adjustment for students, faculty, clinical partners - all of us - as we move to operations that are year-round," said Dr. Beverly Foster, who directs the school's undergraduate program. "But, ultimately, the expanded enrollments will allow us to continue preparing highly skilled nurses who are well-prepared to meet the growing health-care needs of our society."

Injuries and Pain From Lifting Patients Causing Nurses, X-Ray Techs To Consider Quitting - Could Worsen Worker Shortage
National Survey Is First To Expose Problem of Career-Ending Injuries

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The severe shortage of healthcare workers is likely to get much worse unless something is done to help nurses and other healthcare workers safely lift patients without suffering injuries and chronic pain, AFT Healthcare said today in announcing the results of the first survey to expose the problem of career-ending injuries.

"Imagine lifting 200 pounds or more of dead weight by yourself several times a day.  That's a typical day for nurses and X-ray techs, and it's becoming unbearable," said Candice Owley, chair, AFT Healthcare.  "Construction workers use cranes, package delivery personnel use dollies, yet most healthcare workers are on their own and getting hurt.  This is affecting patient care and the profession."

The 509 nurses and 404 radiology technicians were asked about lifting, transferring or repositioning patients and how it affected their health.  Peter D. Hart Research Associates conducted the survey for AFT Healthcare; the respondents were randomly selected and not necessarily members of the union.  X-ray techs were included because of the misperception that lifting is only a "nurses' problem."  In fact, it affects a range of healthcare workers involved in direct patient care.

The survey found that 56 percent of the nurses and 64 percent of X-ray techs have suffered lifting-related injuries, chronic pain or both.  In addition, nearly half the nurses and nearly a third of the X-ray techs said they were considering leaving patient care because of injuries or chronic pain.

The admission by healthcare workers that physical demands could drive them out of their jobs compounds other workplace problems.  Hospitals and other healthcare facilities are facing acute worker shortages because of conditions that include inadequate staffing, mandatory overtime and insufficient support from administration.  Today's survey found healthcare workers now place physical demands and inadequate staffing levels as the biggest problems.

AFT Healthcare is calling on states to require hospitals to adopt safety programs that provide appropriate lifting equipment and training, an action supported by an overwhelming majority of survey respondents.  The union also wants hospitals and other employers to create safe-lift committees that include nurses and others who regularly lift patients.  The committees would select equipment, place it in logical locations and develop training programs. 

Some hospitals have invested in lifting equipment, Owley said, but many workers don't use it because it doesn't meet their daily needs or is inconveniently located.  She also said employers would see significant savings in workers' compensation if their workers had appropriate equipment.

Barbara Kelsey, a Milwaukee registered nurse, told of chronic back problems from lifting post-surgical patients.  "The pain was so bad that it ended my career as a bedside nurse," said Kelsey, now doing non-patient-care work. "The best thing is to have the right equipment."

Vinnie Fedor, an X-ray tech at a New Jersey hospital, told of his mishap when manually lifting a patient from a gurney onto the X-ray table.  "The only way to do it is to climb on the table, crouch down to grip the sheet that the patient is on, and lift," Fedor said.  "When I hopped off the table, my foot snagged on the sheet and I flew off the table, hit my head on the lid of the disposable waste can, bounced up, slammed back into the table and fell on my back onto the floor," he said, noting he fractured his pelvis and required knee surgery.  "And sadly, we still don't have lifting equipment."

SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • BACK, SHOULDER OR NECK INJURIES
    Nurses and X-ray techs :   About 40 percent of each group have been injured from lifting, transferring or repositioning patients.  For both groups, about a quarter have suffered multiple inquiries over their career.  Both groups have lost about the same amount of work time from injuries - 20 percent for nurses and 22 percent for X-ray techs - including having to take vacation days or unpaid leave.
  • CHRONIC PAIN
    Nurses :   Nearly half - 48 percent - said they suffered chronic pain as a result of lifting, transferring or repositioning patients.  Of those, more than one-third of nurses, or 38 percent, have worked regularly with chronic pain.  But the pain was too great for many; a quarter of them had to lose work time, including having to take vacation days or unpaid leave.
    X-ray techs :   More than half - 58 percent - said they have experienced chronic pain.  Of those, 47 percent have worked regularly with chronic pain.  The pain was so bad that 20 percent had to lose work time, including taking vacation days or unpaid leave. 
  • LEAVING THE PROFESSION
    Nurses :   During the past two years, 47 percent said they considered leaving patient care - either to retire or to do a different kind of job because of the physical demands of the work.
    X-ray techs :   In the past two years, 30 percent considered leaving patient care.
  • MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT
    Nurses :   Nearly two-thirds said their hospital has lifting equipment but 60 percent said they don't use the equipment for various reasons.   
    X-ray techs :   Less than half, or 46 percent, said their hospital has mechanical lifting equipment but 38 percent said they don't use the equipment.

Read the full survey results here.

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Nursing Resources

For information on a career as a licensed practical nurse and nursing education visit the National League for Nursing, and the National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service. Information on licensing requirements for nursing and home health aides, and lists of State-approved nursing aide programs are available from State departments of public health, departments of occupational licensing, boards of nursing, and home care associations.

Information about employment opportunities may be obtained from local hospitals, nursing care facilities, home health care agencies, psychiatric facilities, the North Carolina Board of Nursing, and local offices of the State employment service. For information on nursing schools and lists of accredited programs in other states visit one of the following websites: South Dakota Nursing Schools, Florida Nursing Schools and Wyoming Nursing Schools.

The information on North-Carolina-Nursing-Schools.com is for general informational and educational purposes only. North Carolina-Nursing-Schools.com makes no representation that the information is accurate, reliable, complete or timely.