The need for more nurses continues to rise as millions of Baby Boomers retire in the next decade. On top of this, current health care legislation requires wider insurance coverage for 32 million Americans, which analysts say will fuel demand for nurses and nurse-led clinics in areas with shortage of primary care doctors.

These trends have triggered the George Washington University (GWU) to establish a stand-alone school of nursing to meet the five-fold increase in nursing degree applications in recent years. The school is scheduled to open July 2010, with a public launch planned for summer 2011, according to a news release.

"People ask me, 'Why now?'" said Dr. Jean Johnson, GWU’s senior associate dean for health sciences. "It's a unique moment with health care reform, the shortage of primary care professionals and the economy."

Being situated in the country’s capital, the nursing school can help shape policies of health care reform, Johnson said, adding that the new health reform law provides an opportunity for nurses who practice primary care, which could include nurse-led clinics.

The new school will offer a master's of science degree in nursing, a doctorate degree in nursing practice and a second bachelor's of science degree in nursing, while making other post-master's certificate programs available that are currently offered through its Department of Nursing Education at the GWU School of Medicine.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for registered nurses will grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2018. They will remain to be the largest health care occupation, with 2.6 million jobs in 2008, it added. As of May 2008, the bureau also reported that nurses had average yearly wages of $65,130.