Summary: The Nursing Shortage

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The nursing shortage continues to escalate, with the deficit of registered nurses expected to approach one million by the year 2020, denying the population at large much needed medical care (Roa, Shipman, Hooten, & Carter, 2012). The solution to overcoming the nursing shortage has been a matter of much study and debate. Research has uncovered several causes, including an aging population requiring care, an aging workforce leaving the nursing field, a shortage of qualified nursing faculty to train future nurses, and declining first attempt passing scores on the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) (Egenes, 2012; Roa et al., 2012).
Of the factors contributing to the nursing shortage, the issue that has seen the most significant research is the declining NCLEX-RN passing scores (March & Ambrose, 2012; McFarquhar, 2014; Romeo, 2012). The NCLEX-RN is the final hurdle a graduate nursing student must scale before entering the workforce. Declining passing scores on this examination leaves a large group of
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In order to increase student retention, nursing programs have worked to identify those students most likely to succeed by setting pre-admission requirements and evaluating predictors of success (Benefiel, 2012; Jeffreys, 2007; Wolkowitz & Kelley, 2012). By successfully selecting quality nursing candidates and identify at-risk students, nursing programs can provide a smooth transition into the workforce (Jeffreys, 2007). Nursing educators seek to continually improve pedagogical practices, ensure matriculation, increase retention, and decrease attrition rates, while preparing students to be safe and skilled nurses who successfully pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) (Benefiel, 2012; Robinson & Niemer, 2012; Simon, McGinniss, & Krauss, 2013; Williams,