Nursing Essentials

It's a well-known fact that the U.S. is experiencing a severe shortage of nurses, and Chicago is certainly no stranger to the drought. According to the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC), a membership and service association comprising more than 140 hospitals and health care organizations, the metropolitan Chicago area currently has a shortage of 2,500 nurses. By the year 2020, that shortage will grow to 21,000 nurses statewide.(1)

Job seekers have apparently taken notice of these statistics. According to a recent Crain's Chicago Business story,(2) applications at local nursing schools have increased dramatically since 2002. The bad news is that many qualified applicants are being turned away because the schools say they don't have the faculty or clinic space to accommodate them. This dilemma is affecting nursing schools nationwide.

According to the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC), the metropolitan Chicago area currently has a shortage of 2,500 nurses.

Sources quoted in the Crain's article say that a potential solution lies in nursing schools being more creative about how they find appropriate clinical sites and qualified teachers. For example, schools could set up programs at night and on weekends when hospitals are available, or form partnerships with hospitals that can, in turn, provide staff members with master's degrees who can train students.

According to the article, the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing at Loyola University in Chicago has found some success with the hospital partnership approach. MCHC worked with several local nursing schools to expand their number of slots for eligible students by adopting a summer program and distance learning system.

Nurses work in a variety of settings, from hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities to industrial and community settings. Those interested in a nursing career have a very important choice to make when selecting a nursing program that is right for them. All people go into nursing presumably because they want to help others, but the level at which they assist may depend on the education they receive.

The following information on education and training requirements was collected from reports produced by MCHC(3) and the Workforce Boards of Metropolitan Chicago(4):

1. Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) — CNAs perform routine tasks under the supervision of nursing and medical staff. They take patients' vital signs, serve meals, make beds and help patients eat, dress and bathe. Nursing assistants working in hospitals in Illinois require no specific credential — many hospitals train their own CNAs. However, CNAs hired by long-term care facilities or home health agencies are required to have certification from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), obtained after completion of an approved program for CNAs or home health aides. Their names must also be registered by IDPH in order to work in either of those settings.


2. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) — Students enroll in a one-year program, usually in a vocational-technical school. Following licensure by exam, this nurse typically performs routine nursing tasks under the supervision of an RN and commonly works in a hospital, nursing home, long-term care facility or clinic.


3. Associate Degree Nurse (AD/ADN) — Students attend school for two or three years in programs typically offered at junior and community colleges. This nurse is prepared to provide direct patient care in several settings, but most frequently in hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities.


4. Registered Nurse (RN) — In Illinois, the minimal degree to qualify for RN licensure is an associate degree, but there are entry-level programs that provide a bachelor's degree and even a few that provide a master's degree. An RN's responsibilities include the assessment of healthcare needs, nursing diagnosis and evaluation, administration of medications and treatments, teaching and supervision of nursing students and much more. This nurse works in a wide range of health care settings, such as hospitals, clinics and public health agencies.