Part-time Nursing Students Working Full-time Jobs

Usually, part-time nursing students are those who arestudents. 1. Second Career It's true that the
interested in a nursing career but have othermomentous events of 9/11 disaster have triggered a
responsibilities that interfere with their abilities torush for second career in nursing, because people
attend regular classes. Of late, there has been awant a job in which they can make a difference in
good rise in the number of part-time nursing studentsothers' lives. But while this trend has more or less
for a variety of reasons. Looking at the overallebbed over time, the popular choice of nursing as
scenario, it appears that the looming specter ofsecond career continues to rise on account of
nursing shortage is the common driving force behindprojected shortage of nurses in the coming
large number of students opting for part-timedecade.Helen Taggart, a professor of nursing at
courses.As per February 2004 projections by the USArmstrong Atlantic State University, says, "A critical
Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses (RNs)shortage of nurses is creating a crisis in healthcare
will top the list of 10 occupations that have thethat impacts both the preparation of nurses and the
potential of the largest job growth in the yearsability to provide quality care in the region." In keeping
2002-2012. It bears recalling that RNs have listedwith this daunting prospect, her association, the
among the top 10 growth occupations in the past,Coastal Georgia Nursing Consortium (CGNC) plans a
but for the first time in recent history, RNs occupynews conference shortly to announce a special
the top rank.BLS' 10-year projections are widely usedprogram on Nursing as a Second Career.In most
in career guidance and come in handy for concernedcases where aspirants have decided to opt for
institutes in planning education and training programsnursing as their second career, it is seen that they
and also in studying long-range employment trends.are already engaged in full-time jobs either in
Thus, the BLS' report that more than 2.9 million RNshealthcare industry or in a completely alien field. Such
will be employed in the year 2012, up 623,000 fromcareer choosers are often reluctant to let go their
the nearly 2.3 million RNs employed in 2002 hasemployment and therefore likely to opt as part-time
meant that many aspirants have now decided tonursing students.2. Admission Problem As noted
study and pursue a career in nursing.Unfortunately,above, the rising trend of requirement of qualified
there has not been commensurate increase in nursenurses has not translated into matching availability of
educators as a result of which nursing institutes areseats in nursing institutes. This has meant that
unable to increase seats in regular courses. Seen inaspirants who would have otherwise gone for
this backdrop, let us examine some commonfull-time courses, have to settle for part-time
indicators behind the increase in part-time nursingeducation in nursing.