If you’ve been following our blog series outlining the ins-and-outs of the new CMS mandates, you might be relieved to learn that this week’s blog contains a note of, dare I say, optimism?
By now, you probably know all about the minimum staffing rule, the lack of funding, and the juxtaposition between post acute care facilities and rising patient acuity cases in hospitals. While all worrisome and anxiety-inducing, there comes a time when one must stop airing their grievances and focus on the solutions.
This blog is highlighting one of them: College developmental programs.
In response to the rising demand for RNs in skilled nursing facilities, college developmental programs are making headway. Universities across the country, such as the University of New England, have launched accelerated 12-month nursing degree programs, cutting the time necessary to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing by 75%. The new programming supersedes the existing 'accelerated' 16-month nursing degree program, ultimately reducing the length of study by an additional 4 months.
The highly intense, accelerated nursing programs are designed with the intention of fulfilling the nationwide staff shortages by reducing the time necessary to become a practicing nurse. It sounds great, right?
But, as we all know, there are two sides to every coin, here’s what we’re thinking:
Pros
Cons
So there you have it, accelerated college nursing programs: a silver lining amidst the current plight. While not foolproof, they have their perks and penalties like any other, and it’s important to acknowledge the efforts of academic institutions across the country in answering the nursing shortages call. Time will tell whether it is all that it is being hyped up to be, but in the meantime, it is at least one solution to an issue that needs fixing; There’s not much room for complaint when there aren’t many remedies to choose from.
Heard of any other ways SNFs are looking to address the nationwide nursing staff shortages? Comment below, or email us, we’d love to know!