Numerous reports have indicated that the Pacific Northwest currently has a severe nursing shortage, and that demand is expected to continue growing. A recent federal report estimates that Oregon and Washington will be 13,000 nurses short of optimal nursing capacity by 2025. Whilst this statistic is concerning, it is also a positive indication that there is plenty of room for careers to be created within the nursing field. In this report, we’ll look at 3 ways Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education (OCNE) is addressing Oregon’s nursing shortage proactively:
1. Unifying Curriculum Statewide
The OCNE was designed to address several key educational issues that are potentially making the nursing shortage worse. The OCNE works to improve the position by unifying nursing curriculum on a statewide level. It ensures that a nurse pursuing a DNP online receives the same education as a nurse earning their doctor of nursing practice at a university, for example.
2. Streamlining the Transition from Associates Degree to Baccalaureate
The main goal of OCNE when it was created about a decade ago was to give nurses the advantage of learning a curriculum that would allow them to progress immediately from earning their associates degree into pursuing a baccalaureate with minimal adjustment. Since much of Oregon is rural, one of the main reasons why many people choose not to pursue nursing is because they would have to relocate to a city. OCNE encourages aspiring nurses to stay within their communities throughout their journey, thereby encouraging more students to enter to the field.
3. Solving the Faculty Shortage Problem
Another major factor contributing to Oregon’s nursing shortage is a lack of faculty at universities. To make matters worse, it is estimated that about 50 percent of the nursing faculty will retire within the next 3 to 5 years. Technology is going to play a crucial role in continuing to meet teaching demands across the state. OCNE spans 16 campuses around the state, so it is effectively an online curriculum that is backed up by a vast campus distributed located in different regions. The program is therefore able to drastically reduce the burden placed on faculty staff, while also giving students greater access to assistance from within their communities.
Out with the Old, In with the New
For a small percentage of teaching faculty, the use of an online system might be seen as yet another technological hassle that they don’t want to become accustomed to. However, being that the online approach appeals to students of the millennial generation, it is becoming increasingly necessary. Ultimately, ensuring the continuity of the field of nursing in a way that can accommodate the state’s growing healthcare demand is increasingly important.
