KEVIN B. KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Nursing junior Rebecca Bolitho performs a nasogastric tube insertion on a mannequin yesterday afternoon in the Patient Care Learning Center inside the nursing college. Despite a nationwide nursing shortage, many students are not being accepted to UA's nursing school.

The United States is in the middle of a national crisis as the nursing shortage is expected to increase as the need for health care grows and the workforce ages.

However, being admitted into the UA nursing program is not easy, possibly discouraging Arizona students from stepping up to fill the vacancy.

According to the 2004 American College of Healthcare Executives report, 72 percent of hospitals are experiencing a nursing shortage.

With such discouraging statistics, the United States has been forced to recruit nurses from overseas, primarily in the Philippines, while many American students dream of becoming a nurse.

However, entering the College of Nursing at the UA can be difficult, said Vickie Radoye, assistant dean of student affairs at the College of Nursing, because the program is very selective.

"A minimum of a 2.75 GPA is needed, but 3.5 is the average," Radoye said.

Nevertheless, the challenges are well worth it.

"(The nursing program) gives students classroom experiences as well as clinical experiences," Radoye said.

Students must go to school full time, both in the undergraduate and doctorate programs, and bachelor of science and nursing graduates generally begin their careers as a staff or floor nurse in Tucson, Phoenix or out of state, said Radoye.

Radoye is aware of the crisis occurring in the United States, and said there is an "acute" problem in Arizona, but also emphasized that there are many contributing factors.

"(The problem is) there's an aging workforce and a faculty shortage," Radoye said.

Another major problem is the lack of nurse educators, especially those prepared at the doctoral level in the nursing program, which battles with the Arizona Board of Nursing mandated student-to-teacher ratio of 10 students to every teacher, Radoye said.

"We can't go over that (limit)," Radoye said. "Ours is 8-to-1."

Although the UA sets their standards above government requirements, some students in the nursing program prefer the university's student-teacher ratio and said it benefits both their learning experience and environment.

Rebecca Bolitho, nursing junior, said she likes the small student-teacher ratio.

"The student-teacher ratio needs to be low enough so we can get the best education possible," Bolitho said.

The ratio and GPA requirement needed to obtain admission into the nursing program are some reasons the UA nursing program, whose graduate school is among the top 4 percent in the nation, is so selective.

Last year there were 191 first-time applicants requesting admission into the program, but only 100 spots open, Radoye said.

In the partnership program open to college graduates, about 226 applicants applied for the 64 available spots, Radoye said.

Because of the small number of available slots versus the large number of applicants, students are forced to apply more than once.

"It's not uncommon for students to apply more than once," Radoye said.

Due to the program's high standards, many students have changed their major.

Bolitho said her roommate changed her major because she felt she did not have what it took to continue into the field.

"That is not good because someone who wasn't accepted was not able to take that spot because it was too late," Bolitho said.

Aaron Collins, a pre-nursing freshman, would love to become a nurse, but understands the challenges.

"I am a freshman so I haven't applied yet, but I heard that you have to have like a 3.8 to get in, or something outrageous like that," Collins said.

Kate Baker, a pre-nursing junior, said she applied for the nursing program because she had a deep interest in the medical field and wanted to relieve the nursing shortage.

"I know that there is a nursing crisis in the U.S., especially with a decreasing amount of qualified instructors," Baker said.

Even with the nursing shortages, some students understand the extreme selectivity.

Bolitho said though the GPA requirement may be high, it is necessary if Arizona wants to provide the most efficient staff.

"I feel that if you are going to be in this field you need to prove that you can handle all of the work and studying that is needed," Bolitho said. "If your GPA is not good enough then you need to keep trying to bring it up before getting in. The program is pretty demanding."

Bolitho said she believes the shortage of nurses is due to the fact that many in the field today are nearing retirement.

"I know that there is a shortage ,and I know that it is mostly because the mean age for nurses is, I think, the late 40s, and all of those people will soon be retiring," Bolitho said. "It is very important that we get younger people to become nurses to help when those older ones do leave the field."

Amy Batcheler, a pre-nursing freshman, said the requirements to become a nurse are tough, which could deter students from applying.

"It is so hard to get a GPA that high and it is annoying that someone who has so much passion to become a nurse isn't even considered because her GPA, although impressive, isn't high enough," Batcheler said.

Batcheler, who has yet to apply to nursing school, said she is frightened about the difficulties of being accepted.

"It is very worrying. Especially because there is such a need for (nurses) right now," Batcheler said.

However, many of those who meet the criteria and are admitted into the college have nothing but praise for the UA's nursing program.

"The nursing school is absolutely amazing. I have learned so much in my 1 1/2 semesters there. The professors are so nice and they really help us to learn everything we can," Bolitho said.