4 May, 2005
Job Market Bright for Nursing Graduates
Editor's Note: Reporters and photographers are welcome to attend both the commencement ceremony, May 6 starting at 2 p.m. at the Spokane Opera House, and the convocation ceremony, May 6 starting at 7 p.m. Please see end notes for media opportunities involving students. Complete commencement information may be found at www.spokane.wsu.edu and nursing.wsu.edu.
Spokane, Wash. - As the 161 WSU
Intercollegiate College of Nursing statewide nursing
students graduate over the next few weeks, they will be
entering one of the hottest job markets in the nation.
The prolonged national nursing shortage has placed
baccalaureate and master’s prepared nursing
graduates in a competitive field loaded with multiple
opportunities and higher than average salaries.
Statewide, the 2005 graduating class includes 94 students
receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, 38
receiving a BSN for RNs and 29 receiving a Master of
Science in Nursing degree from the WSU Intercollegiate
College of Nursing campuses located in Spokane, Yakima,
Tri-Cities, Vancouver and Walla Walla.
Students preparing to graduate have been receiving qualified offers for many weeks. The difficulty comes in having to choose between competing offers. With salaries for graduates ranging from $45,000-$80,000, the potential estimated payroll for this class of graduates is $6.2 to $7.9 million.
“The salaries and opportunities for nursing graduates continue to increase annually,” said Dorothy Detlor, dean of the WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing. “The number of qualified applicants intensifies each year as well. The nursing profession continues to attract students of all ages from various backgrounds, including those from diverse professions and those with previous academic degrees.”
As the largest single health care profession, employment for registered nurses will grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2008, creating the need for one million new and replacement nurses by 2010 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). The nursing shortage is expected to intensify over the next decade as baby boomers age and a large percentage of the current nursing workforce retires.
“Nursing is an incredibly diverse profession offering many career options. Our graduates go on to become nurse practitioners, educators, and nurse executives.”
Friday evening, May 6 students will participate in a
nursing tradition demonstrated though a convocation
ceremony. During the ceremony students receive their
nursing pin and are able to share with classmates,
faculty and family members their future nursing career
plans.
Established in 1968, the WSU Intercollegiate College of
Nursing is fully-accredited by the Commission on
Collegiate Nursing Education. The college is the
nation’s oldest and most comprehensive nursing
education consortium. Celebrating 36 years of world class
nursing education, the college offers baccalaureate,
graduate and professional development course work to
nursing students enrolled through its four consortium
partners: Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga
University, WSU and Whitworth College. Each year the
college educates more than 780 graduate and
upper-division undergraduate students and prepares more
entry-level nurses than any other Washington state
educational institution. For more information about the
College of Nursing visit the Web site at nursing.wsu.edu.
Commencement student availability for media interviews
and photos: 1:00-1:30 p.m. (Friday, May 6): Selected
nursing students available for interviews in the lobby
area of the Spokane Opera House.