More people than ever may soon be able to pursue careers in nursing with help from a proposed federal bill to boost the number of teachers at nursing schools. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the national nursing shortage is being aggravated by a lack of nursing school teachers. The organization recently released statistics showing that as many as 50,000 qualified applicants were turned away from nursing programs last year because of issues like funding, classroom space and a growing number of faculty approaching retirement age. "Nursing schools nationwide continue to see a strong interest in nursing careers among high school graduates and career changers looking for a dynamic, secure profession," said AACN president Fay Raines in a statement. Under the plan offered by Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, the government would provide grants to nursing schools so they could hire new faculty and upgrade their facilities. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics cites a 23 percent growth in demand for nurses in the coming years, although it notes that this will also vary considerably by region. Physicians' offices and home health care services were expected to be the leading employers of nurses, followed by outpatient care centers.  |