Va. colleges try to end nursing shortage
JMU signs agreement with community colleges
By Shayna Strang, staff writer
Posted on January 11, 2007

Recently, JMU has made an articulation agreement with several Virginia community colleges in an effort to help the shortage of an estimated 400,000 nurses by 2020.

“The anticipated shortage is as severe, or more than, in Virginia than nationally,” said Dr. Merle E. Mast, head of JMU’s nursing department.

This agreement allows students graduating from the nursing programs at Blue Ridge Community College, Lord Fairfax Community College, Piedmont Virginia Community College and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College admission into JMU’s RN-BSN program. The student’s admission depends on a minimum 2.8 grade point average and completion of the RN licensure exam.

The RN-BSN program was designed to allow adults that have previously received their licensure as a registered nurse the opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degree in nursing. While the program is in its second year at JMU, the new agreement with the community colleges has been discussed for the past year.

Several contacts were made between Vicki Martin, RN-BSN program coordinator at JMU, and the community colleges that have now resulted in the signing of these agreements. The students that come from these colleges will finish their General Education while completing their BSN at JMU.

“We are excited that we can offer several routes to our bachelor’s program,” Mast said.

The suggestion of these additional students has left many worried about the future.

“Our nursing program is already overcrowded and cannot accept the students from our school into its nursing program so I don’t really see the fairness,” sophomore nursing student Laura Wheaton said.

Since the RN-BSN program is separate from the regular nursing program at JMU, Mast doesn’t want students to be discouraged.

“This will not compromise the number of students let into our regular program,” she said. “We are trying to create an affordable route for high school students who want their bachelor’s in nursing.”

Previously, the RN-BSN program has dealt with registered nurses coming back to school to obtain their bachelor’s degree, Martin said. The new agreement will allow high school students to spend two years at one of the community colleges before transferring to JMU to complete their BSN in another two years.

“I think that this would probably help with the nursing shortage,” sophomore nursing student Melissa Varda said. “But I think that they should work on expanding the program here rather than just writing their students off onto another school.”

Last year, the nursing program at JMU increased its admittance numbers in an effort to lessen the shortage. The new semester saw an additional 40 students enrolled in the program. Because of a growing faculty shortage, though, it has been difficult to let everyone into the program, Mast said.

According to the Board of Nursing, the student to teacher ratio in clinical settings has to be 1 to 10. To accommodate for more students, the program must find enough faculty to meet the requirements, Martin said. 

While all efforts are being made, there are many factors contributing to the shortage of nurses. These include the need for more nursing educators and an aging population.
“So many nurses are baby boomers or retiring,” Martin said. “Not as many nurses are coming in as are leaving.”

While the reasons for the shortage vary, officials hope that the new agreement can be one step toward a solution.

“As this opportunity becomes more widely understood, we hope more students will take advantage of it,” Kathleen Wotring, dean of Learning for Business, technology, science and health professions at LFCC, said.