Notes on Nursing - October 2001 Page 1

of Nursing (AACN), recently compiled data on the nursing shortage. One statistic they cited was released by the American Hospital Association in it’s June issue of Trendwatch.They report that 126,000 nurses are needed to fill vacancies in hospitals across the nation. Data from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, revealed that the number of students taking the RN exam has dropped from a total of 96,438 in 1995 to 71,392 in the year 2000. These statistics offer a true picture of the crisis at hand.

We continue to focus on ways to meet the needs of the Nursing community. The School Nurse Certificate Program and the MSN program show increasing enrollment. As the school age population has skyrocketed in Monmouth County we are pleased to be offering a School Nurse Certificate program that is both challenging and rewarding. We are exploring new areas of interest for Graduate and Certificate Programs. Details will follow in the months to come.

NOTES ON NURSING Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies
Volume III, Issue 4	October 2001
September 11, 2001 was a day we will not forget. In our community we watched with horror as the events unfolded on television, we saw the smoke on the horizon, and we waited to hear news of friends and family. The faculty and the students in the School of Nursing did what we could to help, as people did across the country. Many were called to work extra shifts, some met the boats as they brought the survivors into the local harbors, and many placed calls to be added to the list of available volunteers. Yet there was so little we could do. Each of us was affected in some way and we continue to feel the impact of this tragedy every day. Please know that our thoughts go out to our friends and co-workers who have experienced the incomprehensible. May peace be with you.
From the Dean’s Desk Marilyn M. Lauria, R.N. Ed.D.	of Nursing (AACN), recently compiled data on the nursing shortage. One statistic they cited was released by the American Hospital Association in it’s June issue of Trendwatch.They report that 126,000 nurses are needed to fill vacancies in hospitals across the nation. Data from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, revealed that the number of students taking the RN exam has dropped from a total of 96,438 in 1995 to 71,392 in the year 2000. These statistics offer a true picture of the crisis at hand. We continue to focus on ways to meet the needs of the Nursing community. The School Nurse Certificate Program and the MSN program show increasing enrollment. As the school age population has skyrocketed in Monmouth County we are pleased to be offering a School Nurse Certificate program that is both challenging and rewarding. We are exploring new areas of interest for Graduate and Certificate Programs. Details will follow in the months to come.
In August I was invited to attend a luncheon and press conference called by Congressman Rush Holt and Senator Joseph Vitale. The program was held at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. The focus of this meeting was to discuss strategies to combat the current and looming nursing shortage. Attendees included myself, representatives from the nursing staff and administration of Robert Wood Johnson, the Assistant Dean of Nursing from the College of NJ, and a representative from Rutgers Newark School of Nursing. Congressman Holt and Senator Vitale continue to champion the needs of nurses.The shortage of nurses is a topic of that is frequently discussed as its impact is far reaching. The American Association of Colleges
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