Oregon Accelerates Nursing Programs to Combat Shortage

According to Oregon State government data, every region of the state is experiencing some sort of nursing shortage, and now a variety of programs are being ramped up to combat that.

   Portland-based university offers an accelerated program

  Concordia University St. Paul in Portland is offering a program where applicants can complete their Bachelor of Science Nursing Program in just 16 months.

The program accepts anywhere from 80 to 100 students three times a year to enroll in the program.

According to KGW8 TV:

"According to a study by the Oregon Longitudinal Data Collaborative, Oregon produces the third-fewest nursing graduates per capita across the entire country. Despite the demand, traditional colleges and universities lack the faculty, clinical sites, classroom space or clinical preceptors to serve the number of students interested."

According to information from the Oregon State Legislature, the programs are needed to deal with increasing numbers of nurses leaving the profession. Legislative officials say nearly 70 percent of Oregon nurses report some sort of burnout or job fatigue.