Photos by John Cross
Nursing instructor Michele Brielmaier faces a class of nursing students at South Central College in North Mankato. A shortage of nursing educators and lack of places to do clinical work is forcing colleges to turn away students.
Every semester in Mankato, hundreds of qualified would-be nursing students get turned away from colleges.
The problem will lessen a little as Rasmussen College has been allowed to accept more students. But a shortage of nursing educators, problems finding enough hospitals and clinics to train nurses, and tight state funding are all putting a big pinch on nursing programs.
Marilyn Swan, director of nursing at South Central College, said the school can accept only about one-third of the nursing students who apply. SCC has about 50 nursing students on the North Mankato campus and nearly as many on its Faribault campus.
Gustavus Adolphus College has nearly 50 students preparing to be RNs.
Minnesota State University, with about 200 nursing students, turns away about 80 each semester.
Swan said the problem is twofold.
"Just getting enough consistent clinical sites is a challenge." Students need to do clinical work in a health-care setting while they are finishing their studies.
"The second thing is finding qualified faculty," Swan said. "Just like the nursing shortage affects the bedside, there are not enough nurse educators."
Nursing student Lindsey Van Guilder in class at South Central College.
With the median wage for a registered nurse at $63,000 in the Mankato area, financially competing for nurse educators is also a challenge for colleges.
"When you're dealing with a chronic shortage and the salaries go up exponentially in the private sector, it's a challenge for us," Swan said.
Cheryl Pratt, director of nursing at Rasmussen, said the Minnesota Board of Nursing has lifted a cap on nursing enrollment at the college. The school will double its nursing program slots from 24 to 48.
"Rasmussen has done such an outstanding job preparing students that they've lifted the cap so we can really accept as many as we want. We set it at 48 to keep class sizes small and keep the focus on being successful," Pratt said.
The Nursing Board grants nursing programs at colleges and reviews the programs to see if they are meeting standards. Rasmussen began offering an associate's degree in nursing in 2005.
After completing the program, students take their state board tests to become licensed practical nurses.
Pratt said Rasmussen hopes to expand its program, taking more students and starting a professional nursing program to prepare registered nurses.
"We expect demand to continue. We know there is a shortage of nurses out there, and that's expected to continue for another 20 years at least," Pratt said.
Rasmussen has or is adding nursing programs at several of its Minnesota campuses, including in Brooklyn Park, St. Cloud, Moorhead and Eagan.
Rasmussen partners with Immanuel St. Joseph's Mayo Health, local long-term care facilities and the hospitals in Waseca and St. Peter to allow students to do their clinical work.
SCC and MSU likewise partner with a variety of health-care facilities in the area. Swan said the area is fortunate to have a large health-care industry, but said it is still difficult for those hospitals, clinics and long-term facilities to find the resources and staff time to accommodate more students in their clinicals.
Swan said colleges are trying more creative ways to accommodate more students.
SCC started an intensive summer program that allows practicing LPNs to come back to school to get training to take the RN boards.
And SCC next spring is starting its first Web-based nursing courses. Students will still take some classroom classes and meet with advisers, but their education will be enhanced with Web classes.
"I would see that continuing to grow for us," Swan said.
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