Allegheny Health Network's nursing schools report record enrollment
Allegheny Health Network just announced record enrollment in its nursing program.
After the last several years have seen either stagnating or declining numbers, the growing interest in a nursing career is good news for the industry. Nationally, new nursing student numbers are up almost 5%.
"We have students who are graduating, they tell their friends and family. We have other nurses who see these students come into our hospitals and they're like, 'You need to go to these schools. These schools are excellent. You can come right in, you get a job, you're prepared,'" said Hope Waltenbaugh, the vice president of nursing operations at AHN.
"It's lucrative. You can come out making a really nice salary, you can support yourself, you can support your loved ones on this salary," Waltenbaugh added.
AHN reported record-breaking enrollment. At West Penn Hospital School of Nursing in Bloomfield, 164 students enrolled. At Citizens School of Nursing in Tarentum, 176 students enrolled, which is a 125% increase.
"I graduated from our program, Citizen School of Nursing, I graduated from that program 25 years ago. Yes, it's rigorous. There's a very stringent curriculum that's in place, the Department of Education oversees that. We do that for a reason because, you know, these patients' lives are in these nurses' hands," Waltenbaugh said.
New nursing school students have some work ahead of them. Full-time nursing students face a 22-month program. Students can also attend part-time, with weekend and evening classes. They'll be in class for 32 months.