Pennsylvania ranks first nationally
in the concentration of health-care
employment, with nearly 800,000 jobs,
according to a study from the Milken
Institute, an economic think tank. Pennsylvania's
hospitals contribute nearly $34 billion
in spending to the state's economy,
making health care a critical industry.
Why, then, with an unemployment rate
of around 5 percent, are there an estimated
17,000 nursing and health-care jobs
currently open? This is due to a growing
shortage of clinical training sites
for students, as well as qualified faculty.
And although nursing school enrollments
are up, some students fail to graduate,
due to academic problems.
Penn State is playing an active role
in addressing the issue. "Our faculty
are preparing future nurses and health-care
professionals and providing those already
in the health-care field with opportunities
to update their skills and knowledge,"
said Dr. Fred W. Vondracek, associate
dean for undergraduate studies and outreach
in the College of Health and Human Development.
For example, the college's bachelor
of science in nursing degree program
for registered nurses is now available
online. By providing a flexible and
convenient way for registered nurses
to reach higher levels in their profession,
Penn State hopes to help Pennsylvania
keep its nurses and attract more people
into nursing education. "We are
very excited about the potential this
program will have to reach more RNs
and give more options for them to continue
their career development," said
Dr. Carol Smith, associate professor
in the School of Nursing.
Professionals
in Rural Areas
The University also is home to the Pennsylvania
Office of Rural Health, one of 50 state
offices of rural health in the nation
focused on advancing the health status
of rural residents. According to Director
Lisa A. Davis, recruitment and retention
of primary-care professionals for rural
communities, including nurse practitioners,
is a critical mission.
Rural health care also is a major focus
of the School of Nursing, which in 1995
established Rural Nursing Centers in
several communities, in partnership
with the Home Nursing Agency, to bring
nursing and health care to underserved
rural areas and provide students with
opportunities for supervised clinical
experience.
The School of Nursing launched its first-ever
Nursing Camp for 11- to 13-year-olds
last summer, in the hopes of attracting
young people to the field. Nursing faculty
gave campers a glimpse of what it's
like to be a nurse. The budding nurses
received scrub shirts and stethoscopes,
visited health-care and research facilities
and practiced nursing duties.
For those already in the nursing profession
who want to further their skills, lack
of money can be a barrier. A new grant
from the Pennsylvania Higher Education
Foundation and its partners in the School
of Nursing will help financially strapped
nursing students complete their education.
Other nursing initiatives include the
Penn State-Mount Nittany Medical Center
partnership to help employees earn an
associate degree in nursing; new classroom
and clinical space and equipment for
Penn State Worthington Scranton's nursing
education program; the creation of the
Coalition for the Advancement, Recruitment
and Education of Nurses at Penn State
Mont Alto, a regional organization of
nursing and health-care professionals
addressing the nursing shortage in south
central Pennsylvania; and the Professional
Development Program for School Nurses,
a five-course professional development
program offered by the School of Nursing,
College of Health and Human Development,
and Outreach Statewide Programs.
