The Spring 2003 Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow newsletter is now online! Scroll down the page and you will find brief article summaries and links to the full stories if you are interested in more depth. Please contact us at this address with story suggestions and comments about this site.

Nursing school enrollments rise; increase insufficient to meet demand for new nurses

Enrollments in entry-level baccalaureate programs in nursing increased by 8 percent in fall 2002 over the previous year, according to an annual survey by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), a Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow coalition member. Though the increase signals an upward shift in enrollment trends, the number of students in the educational pipeline still is not enough to meet the projected demand for 1 million new and replacement nurses by 2010. Read the story.

Enrollment success stories and challenges to future growth

Schools of nursing have discovered creative ways to increase enrollments and address the projected shortages of RNs and nursing faculty. Texas Women’s University, for example, “borrowed” faculty from nearby hospitals to accommodate more students. Hawaii Pacific University built a new nursing skills laboratory, while College Misericordia in Pennsylvania offered part-time, accelerated and evening programs. Learn more about how these three schools and others across the U.S. are addressing the nursing shortage. Read the story.

Health Occupations Students of America offers opportunities to promote nursing to students

The student-led organization Health Occupations Students of America offers a unique approach to nurse recruitment, providing the largest network of health professionals who work inside America’s high schools to promote and prepare future nurses and other health care providers. Find out how you can work with this new Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow coalition member to attract future nursing students. Read the story.

Also in the NHT Newsletter

Nursing career book features Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow
Your Career in Nursing, a new book published in January 2003, features Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow in its opening chapter. Written by Annette T. Vallano, a practicing nurse and nursing career specialist, this book offers expert advice for nurses to take charge of their careers. Read the story or obtain ordering information here.

Moviegoers get the nursing message
Read this update on our summer 2002 advertising campaign at the movies. The on-screen ad reached more than 2.5 million moviegoers and appeared on 436 screens nationwide in major markets.

How To Help Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow
Click here to learn about ways your can get involved with Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow.

Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow recognized nationally as one of the best PR Campaigns
Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow received the prestigious 2002 Silver Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America in the category Public Service: Business. Recognizing the best in strategic public relations planning and implementation, the Silver Anvil is the nation's highest honor for public relations programs. Read about this and other awards recognizing your efforts as a Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow coalition member.

$3 million raised on behalf of nursing
The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future, in partnership with nursing stakeholders in Massachusetts, south Florida, Michigan, Dallas/Fort Worth, Illinois and northern California, hosted six gala fundraising events that brought in $3 million for student scholarships, nurse educator fellowships and nursing school grants. Read the story.

Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow helps successful recruiting program at Boise State University in Idaho
Using the Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow advertising campaign, Boise State University’s department of nursing saw a 300 percent increase in the number of applications to its program for the 2002-2003 school year. Read more about how this school was successful.

Click here to view lists of our sponsors and coalition members, which include eleven new organizations.