Educational preparation for nursing--1974

Each year a report of some of the most recent statistics on nursing education appears in the September issue of Nursing Outlook. The data presented are derived from The National League for Nursing's annual survey of state-approved schools of nursing in the 56 jurisdictions of the United States. The programs surveyed include those which prepare for beginning practice in nursing (baccalaureate, associate degrees, diploma, and practical nursing); those graduate programs that lead to masters and doctoral degrees in nursing; and those baccalaureate programs that conduct nursing programs for registered nurses only. Data on the status of state-approved basic schools (new schools, closed schools, and changes in existing schools) are obtained in September of each year from the state boards of nursing. In October, questionnaires are mailed to each school of nursing, as well as to those nursing programs that do not require state board approval (masters and doctoral programs, and baccalaureate programs for registered nurses). Information is also obtained from irregularly conducted surveys of all four-year colleges and universities in the United States that do not have state-approved basic nursing baccalaureate programs. The data obtained include admissions and graduations for the preceeding academic year, admissions for the current fall term, and enrollments as of October 15. Other information, such as data on men and minority students, is collected every three years. In recent years, enrollment figures for students who were admitted with advanced placement status have also been collected. With few exceptions, the schools have been most cooperative in providing the data, making it possible for us to obtain a 100 percent response rate for both registered nurse and practical nurse programs.