For the first time in 20 years, the number of students enrolled in entry-level nursing programs declined, according to a May 3 report from Medscape based on data from the American Association of Colleges of Nurses.
There was a 1.4 percent drop in students training to be registered nurses last year. Between 2021 and 2022, 3,500 fewer students entered nursing school to pursue a BSN degree, and the number of students in registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing degree programs decreased by 17 percent.
Last year, 78,000 qualified applicants were turned away from nursing schools nationwide due to a lack of faculty and clinical training site availability, according to the report. The number of applications to bachelor's and master's degree nursing programs also decreased, although applications to DNP and PhD programs increased.