South Central College Nursing Program Featured on AM Minnesota 10-22-2015

South Central College nursing program director Michelle Brielmaier stops by the KDHL studio for a visit today.

We will talk about the current nursing shortage, which is not showing any signs of getting better.

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the shortage is expected to intensify as we Baby Boomers age and our need for health care grows.

This nursing shortage, as I understand it, is not just in this country but around the world, and we will address that dilemma.

The baby boom of 1946-64 was followed by an 11-year baby bust, when the birth rate fell to a low of 146 births per 1,000.

The 1990 census showed 77 million American boomers and 44 million Generation Xers, so the worker pool is also diminished. In fact, it's the smallest pool of entry-level workers since the 1930s.

According to the organization Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow, about half of the RN workforce will reach retirement age in less than a decade and the average age of RN graduates is 31.

AM Minnesota is 9:30AM.

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