News outlets offer different takes on nurse supply and demand

May 7 2011

There seems to be no easy solution to Georgia's nursing solution. Minnesota schools, however, are producing more nursing graduates than ever before.

Georgia Health News: Nursing Shortage: A Need For Faculty, Advanced Degrees, Statistics
Every few years Georgia — and the rest of the country, for that matter — experiences a severe shortage of nurses. Only this time it's different, experts say. This time there are no easy solutions — no way to import nurses from other countries to practice in the state; no way to open up more slots at nursing schools and technical colleges to crank out more registered nurses to help ease the shortage (King, 5/5).

Minnesota Public Radio: Nursing A Favored Landing Spot For Dislocated Workers
Minnesota schools are producing more nursing graduates than ever before. Data from the Minnesota State Colleges and University's system show the number of two-year nursing grads is approaching 2,000 per year, nearly double what it was in 2002. The number of registered nurses graduating from universities with four-year degrees more than doubled in the same period. People who hire nurses say there's a growing preference to hire baccalaureate-trained nurses over those with two-year associate degrees (Robertson, 5/6).