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Thursday, September 7. 1989 / University Daily Kansan
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Nursing school reports increase in enrollment
By Melanie Matthes Kansan staff writer
An occupation that seemed to have hit bottom a few years ago is making a comeback.
Nurses across the state are beginning to receive greater benefits and salaries, and enrollment in nursing schools is beginning to rise.
Officials at the University of Kansas School of Nursing reported an increase in enrollment for the second year, including writing the lowest figures ever in 1987.
Rita Clifford, assistant dean of nursing, said that KU's intense recruiting efforts and the large quantity of recent publicity had resulted in an enrollment increase of almost 8 percent.
She said that the school noticed the first enrollment drop in 1983. Enrollment reached its lowest in 1987 with 234 students.
Enrollment increased this year from 247 to 268 students.
Terri Roberts, executive director of Kansas State Nurses' Association, said that from 1983 to 1987 there was an increase in students in school parcel access across the state.
She said that enrollment decreased because women realized that they were qualified for professions that provided better salaries and benefits. Roberts said that women dominated 54 percent of nursing by about 97 percent.
Clifford said that the enrollment decreases probably happened because the field received a lot of negative publicity several years ago.
She said that salary increases and back up transfers had put enrollment back on prep.
Mary Ann Eisenbise, director of nursing services for KU's School of
Nursing, said that the University of Kansas Medical Center was operating at a 10-percent vacancy rate this year. This means if there are 421 full-time positions available, the center has 42 vacant positions.
Roberts said that Kansas hospitals were operating at an 8 to 9 percent vacancy rate.
Such shortages have left some nurses overworked and some hospital beds empty.
She said that hospitals were coping by hiring a support staff for the nurses. Child care provisions have increased city at many hospitals, Roberts said.
Eisenbise said that in order to cope with the stress caused by the shortages, the Med Center allowed the nurses more flexible schedules.
She said that nurses could transfer from one area of the Med Center to another and could continue to pursue their education while working there. Eisenbise said that this allowed the nurses to pursue individual interests and prevented stress.
She said that the Med Center was represented Aug. 30 at a meeting with the Special Committee on Ways and Means-Appropriations in Topeka. Committee members will study the nursing problems and will make a recommendation to the Legislature in the spring.
Elsenbise said that Med Center nurses and officials were in disagreement over union membership requirements. She said the two groups would meet in a month to resolve the issue.
Eisenbeis said members of the KU Nursing Association thought that all nurses should be union members, but Med Center officials did not want nurses who worked only one or two shifts a month to become members.
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