Economy prompts rise in health care careers
Jessica Powviriya
Issue date: 3/9/09 Section: News
The UA Eleanor Mann School of Nursing has experienced a noticeable increase in applications for pre-nursing, the director of the school said.
"We have seen a tremendous growth in students wanting to become nurses," said Nancy Smith-Blair, associate professor and interim director for the nursing school.
This year, the school had 475 students declare pre-nursing, although applications have increased steadily since 2005, Smith-Blair said.
The College of Education and Health Professions has seen an increase in students majoring in kinesiology, rehabilitation and health sciences, as well as a 100-student increase overall in nursing.
This increase in health-related degrees comes with good reason.
Because of the aging baby-boomer generation, the best careers in 2009 are in the health care system, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Physical therapists will be in high demand as more senior citizens require help recuperating from hip and knee replacements. Similarly, registered nurses and physician assistants are needed in the health world to care for an ever-growing number of patients.
Taking into account the Obama administration's health care overhaul, health policy specialists will be called to examine the plan and analyze various problems that might arise when the policy is implemented, according to the report.
Health care employment growth will be driven by the increasing aging population and longer life expectancies of seniors.
Enrollments in nursing baccalaureate programs rose by 2.2 percent in 2008, according to a report released by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
The UA nursing school has 48 students for each graduating class and admits a class in the fall and spring of each academic year. As the number of applicants increases, however, there is also a record number being turned away from nursing degree programs.
Reasons include a lack of faculty, insufficient clinical teaching, limited classroom space, insufficient preceptors and budget cuts, according to the report.
"We have seen a tremendous growth in students wanting to become nurses," said Nancy Smith-Blair, associate professor and interim director for the nursing school.
This year, the school had 475 students declare pre-nursing, although applications have increased steadily since 2005, Smith-Blair said.
The College of Education and Health Professions has seen an increase in students majoring in kinesiology, rehabilitation and health sciences, as well as a 100-student increase overall in nursing.
This increase in health-related degrees comes with good reason.
Because of the aging baby-boomer generation, the best careers in 2009 are in the health care system, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Physical therapists will be in high demand as more senior citizens require help recuperating from hip and knee replacements. Similarly, registered nurses and physician assistants are needed in the health world to care for an ever-growing number of patients.
Taking into account the Obama administration's health care overhaul, health policy specialists will be called to examine the plan and analyze various problems that might arise when the policy is implemented, according to the report.
Health care employment growth will be driven by the increasing aging population and longer life expectancies of seniors.
Enrollments in nursing baccalaureate programs rose by 2.2 percent in 2008, according to a report released by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
The UA nursing school has 48 students for each graduating class and admits a class in the fall and spring of each academic year. As the number of applicants increases, however, there is also a record number being turned away from nursing degree programs.
Reasons include a lack of faculty, insufficient clinical teaching, limited classroom space, insufficient preceptors and budget cuts, according to the report.
Be the first to comment on this story