Some nursing schools are seeing an uptick in applications, which may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Regis College in Weston, Mass., saw a large increase in applicants to its nurse practitioner programs after the pandemic started, according to Cassandra Godzik, PhD, assistant dean of the university's graduate nursing school.
Villanova (PA.) University's Fitzpatrick College of Nursing also admitted a record number of students to its BSNExpress program this May. The program allows students with a bachelor's degree in another field to obtain their nursing degree in 14 months.
Donna Havens, PhD, RN, dean of Villanova's nursing college, suggested that the spotlight placed on front-line providers during the pandemic may be inspiring others to pursue nursing degrees.
"For the first time in my career, I feel the world really understands what nurses do, and they really understand how important the contributions of nurses are to health and healthcare," she told U.S. News.
It is unclear whether the increase in nursing applications is a national trend, U.S. News noted.
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