The program was approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing today, and is expected to be approved by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission before spring. Aquinas is now accepting applications for the program, which will begin this fall.
Nursing is one of the nation s fastest growing professions.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that job growth for RNs will increase 21 to 36 percent through 2006, and the fastest growing segment within the field is community-based nursing, already comprising 17 percent of the field. At the same time, many of the nation s RNs are nearing retirement, leading many to predict a critical nursing shortage by 2010. This nursing program is unique in that it will be the only program in the region to emphasize community-based nursing, an area that focuses on nursing in settings such as outreach clinics, agencies, schools, home care agencies and other community arenas. Community-based nurses work with community leaders, teachers, parents and physicians to improve the overall heath of the community and instruct individuals, families and groups in health education, disease prevention, nutrition and child care. University of Detroit Mercy.