The shortage of nurses is not a matter of speculation. If anything, it’s a hard fact that is only going to get worse over the next decade. The American Association of College Nurses has done than their share of studies. A recent demographic study they commissioned found the average nursing professional is 43 years old. Even more problematic is under 10% of all the nurses out there are under 30. The Association projects that if this trend continues, in two decades the shortage will hit a crisis situation when the current 43 year-olds start contemplating retirement. This impacts all areas, including the advanced positions where a nursing master degree is required.

Yes, there federal government and other public agencies and professional societies are doing what they can to encourage more people into the profession. They all realize that one thing that’s inhibiting a lot of high school students from getting a nursing certificate or degree, or any form of higher education for that matter, is financial. If you need more information about government grants, look on the internet.

The need is reaching the point where even corporations in the health care industries are stepping in. These are the last people most think of for educational assistance. Yet some are putting up literally hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to create more nurses, from the young high school graduate to those out for their PhD. Here are a few samples:

Tylenol Scholarship Program – This was designed so those studying healthcare manage the rising costs of tuition and more, especially undergraduates. They award $250,000 to 40 students based on leadership qualities and performance, with a maximum of $10,000 per student. The program has been around now for 18 years.

Business and Professional Women’s Foundation – This is sponsored by New York Life and is open to applicants (U.S. citizen, female, 25 years of age or older and graduating within one to two) seeking the education necessary for advancement in the nursing field. They will provide aid in the range of $250 to $1,000 for tuition, fees, and school-related expenses such as child care and transportation. There is an abundance of information about grants online on the web.

Hewlett-Packard AACN Critical Care Nursing Grant – This for nurses interest in computer technology and IT. The applicant must be an RN and a member of the Association. This fellowship was created to conduct research in information science as part of the curriculum. Preference is for topics addressing IT, although another emphasis is on RNs doing critical care. The recipient is awarded $30,000.

Johnson & Johnson Campaign For Nursing’s Future – This is designed for experienced nurses who wish to train the profession’s next generation and become nurse educators, particularly for minorities. The winner(s) gets an $18,000 grant. It is endorsed and administered by the Association. After all, it’s hard to find all the nurses one needs if you don’t have the people to train them.

There are sites that list at least several hundred more and apply to those just starting out, as well as those attending nursing masters degree programs. The best thing to do is sit down with a financial aid officer to find the program that best suits your needs, along with the monies, such as a federal Pell grant, to help finance it.

There comes a time when nurses think about hanging up the scrubs and stethoscope and see how normal people live. They’re just tired of the 12-hour shifts, aching corns and bad back. Still, there’s that nagging desire to somehow stay involved in one way or another and schools for nursing can offer some definite options.

After all, there is an extreme shortage of nursing professionals in the world today. The shortage makes it a tough profession to quit, and giving up the high salary, flexible hours and benefits package isn’t easy. The health care industry makes it highly enticing to keep their nurses around as long as they can, and many can still be found pounding hospital floors long after other professionals moved to Florida or Arizona.If you need more information about nursing degrees, look on the internet.

The solution to this is a sort of meeting of these needs. Many are going back to school to become Nurse Educators. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is as big a need for the teachers as there is for the students. Educators work in what the Bureau calls a “post-secondary school”, i.e., college environment, which many find a lot more favorable to walking a hospital or clinic floor. If that isn’t enough, the salaries can be every bit as good as nursing itself.

Becoming a nurse educator does require a few years of new education. Then again, nurses do have half the education needed in that they are walking into continued education with a Bachelors degree, state certification and a few years experience. About the one thing a nurse educator needs that many standard nurses don’t have is some clinical experience, but that can be made up for while learning.

To find out more, a good idea is to contact some online colleges. Find out which offer nurse education course loads. One should also see about financial aid. As there is a shortage of teachers and nurses, grants and fellowships are readily available. Consult with the school’s financial aid officer to find out more about getting the extra financial boost. There is an abundance of information about nursing school university on the web. 　

Because the student is walking in with a few years of actual nursing experience, course concentration will be in education. It will take about two years to obtain Masters. It can take longer if it’s done through a work-study program. If one wants to work for a university or hospital-university setting, he or she will sooner or later have to get a PhD for a full professorship. Many others will find situations where a teaching certificate and Masters will suffice.

Salaries do vary. The primary reason for this is some educators like to still walk the floor and do both as part-time jobs. Others feel may opt just to relax and only teach part time. Overall nurse educators make about $65,000 a year. They can pull over $100,000 if they become tenured, full-time professors.

They are training their next generation, graduates of the many nursing school colleges that are working to fill the personnel lag. Especially for the new students, a online nursing school may just be the way to go, keeping in mind just how high one can rise with dedication.