Campus Connection

On February 7, 2008, Governor Martin O'Malley announced a $3.4 million allocation for the UMB School of Nursing to assist in addressing the state’s nursing shortage.  Maryland faces a mounting nursing shortage that will likely increase.  According to the Association of Maryland Hospitals and Health Systems (AMHHS), the state could face a shortage of about 17,000 nurses by 2012 prior to the governor’s latest initiative.  

Every year, almost 2000 well qualified nursing school applicants are turned down because of a lack of faculty in nursing schools all over the state, according to Dr. Janet Allen, dean of the School of Nursing.  She emphasized that the nursing shortage stems from the lack of nursing faculty.  

The governor’s allocation will enable an increase in enrollment to 2613 nursing students in the state.  Although the amount is smaller than originally recommended by the AMHHS, the additional funding will enable UMB to increase the number of nursing faculty, thereby sustaining the faculty-to-student ratio of the school. It will also help the nursing school expand classrooms, provide additional tuition reimbursement, and preserve the simulation lab for students at its Shady Grove campus.

“Nurses are the backbone of Maryland’s healthcare system and play an invaluable role in delivering the best patient care,” said O’Malley.  “To ensure that all Marylanders have access to the highest quality of care, an adequate supply of well-trained and committed nurses is absolutely critical.”

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