Why is there a waiting list for nursing programs at colleges, but a nursing shortage?

Because being employed as a staff nurse pays more than being employed as a nursing instructor. It's one of those things you have to have a heart for, and be willing to give up the income. Also, a nurse can go home at the end of the day, while the instructor is still working in one capacity or the other.

There is a shortage because more and more people are aging and requiring nursing care, it is very hard for foreign nurses to get work visas ever since 9/11, and schools have a small capacity for nursing graduates. The reason why schools don't have enough room is that very few nurses want to teach, since it pays a lot less than actual nursing. The shortage of teachers means that they can only teach a small number of students. Every nursing program in my area has a waitlist or a lottery system. I don't believe that if more people graduated nursing school, wages would fall and no one would want to be a nurse. RIght now, the shortage of nurses is so severe that nurses work much longer hours than they should. If more people graduated from nursing school, they could work normal length shifts and we wouldn't have to rely on foreign countries to provide nurses.

Information on this site http://mynursingprograms.com might help you

There is a shortage of nursing instructors, so the ones they DO have need to have smaller class sizes. Plus not all students pass their boards after graduation.

try some of the VOE TEC s they have nursing classes.The problem is that they are limited by the need of TEACHERS. most schools are a two year or more if you want to specialize.Rn is four years or more..CLASSES are kept at a size where all ladies can learn. MY Daughter waites a year toget in her LPN school. she went in to medical reserch for a nother year. ,arried and had 3 children and waitted till they were in school. waited years to get into collage part time now she's working toward her RN.

not considering having your degree in another country?in the philippines there are lots (i mean lots!) of good nursing schools to choose from.and the tution you can surely afford.just a suggestion...

Because there are only facilities to process so many nurses at the college - only so many professors - and usually when you start with a class you graduate with the same class. Besides, if they opened it up, then there would be an abundance of nurses, wages would fall, and then no one would want to be a nurse...