When I pulled up The Daily Tar Heel this morning and saw School of Nursing on the first page, the last thing I thought I'd read about was cutting enrollment.
The undergraduates are the ones who will take the blow, losing 50 slots in a highly coveted and competitive program. Carolina accepts around 20% of applicants into one of two programs: the "traditional" 24 month program and the 14 month accelerated program for students who are seeking a second bachelor's degree. I was fortunate enough to have graduated from this fine institution.
I love being a nurse. I chose my path because I wanted to get as close to people as I possibly could. I've been at the bedside since I was 20 years old. Everyone that I went to school with feels the same way about impacting our world through helping its people. And now you're taking away 50 dreams, Carolina.
I have to apologize to the people who have heard me vent after a day of work recently. You see, we're severely understaffed. Acuity is high, nurses are short, and the kids keep getting sick. So now that a state institution (The University of the People) is taking away the best and most affordable means of being a nurse, who will suffer?
What's more is that I am seeing the impact of the economy from an advanced practice nursing perspective now. Theoretically, a mid-level provider (nurse practitioner or physician's assistant) is a great way to see more patients for a more reasonable price. But the squeeze in budgets has the same effect that it does at my work: No new staff, just pick up the pace.
"Liz Stocksdale, a junior in the BSN program, said she does not understand the cuts. “Out of all the things you could cut — nurses?” she said."
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