Nursing school enrollments rise at some Georgia schools

ATLANTA - More practicing nurses are needed in Georgia, where the vacancy rate in public health care facilities is 20 percent, according to recent surveys. <br> <br> Efforts to increase the number - along with renewed interest in emergency health care because of Sept. 11 - have resulted in nursing schools reporting higher-than-usual enrollments for the fall semester. <br> <br> More attention to a shortage of health professionals and additional scholarships for nursing students have helped increase applications, officials said. <br> <br> At some schools in Georgia, nursing programs have more applicants than they could accommodate. Enrollment in the undergraduate degree programs is higher than it has been since the early 1990s at some schools. <br> <br> College administrators also believe the terror attacks of almost a year ago may have prompted more students to pursue careers in health care. <br> <br> ``I think 9/11 had an impact,&#39;&#39; said Marla Salmon, dean of the School of Nursing at Emory University in Atlanta. ``People are seeking careers that have more meaning.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Emory has an almost 50 percent increase in nursing school enrollment, from 59 students in fall 2001 to 78 students this year. Salmon said the school stepped up its recruiting for nursing school so it would have a broader field of qualified applicants. <br> <br> The Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, which accepts undergraduate students after they have completed their core courses elsewhere, reports a 10 percent increase, with 315 students enrolling in the two-year bachelor of science program, compared with 287 last year. <br> <br> Nursing programs have made it easier financially for many students to attend college. In June, the University System of Georgia announced a partnership with Georgia hospitals that would direct $4.55 million to nursing programs at state schools over the next two years, including money for scholarships. <br> <br> Another state program offers a tuition rebate to students who agree to practice nursing in Georgia for three years after receiving their degree. <br> <br> Private hospitals also are providing scholarships to students who commit to work for them once they graduate.

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