Earlier this month, AACN released findings from our Fall 2022 annual survey, which show declining student enrollment across nursing program levels. AACN staff are working to discern the causes of this downward turn and how we can best support schools in reaching their enrollment targets.

For the first time in our history, more than 70% of registered nurses (RNs) are educated at the baccalaureate or higher degree level, according to new data released earlier this month via the 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey.  Further, most RNs now enter the workforce with a baccalaureate or entry-level master’s degree (51.5%).

At the Deans Annual Meeting held earlier this week, transformation in nursing education was a common theme threaded across many conversations. Most agree that the time is right to re-envision our approach for preparing practice-ready nurses with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive across healthcare settings.

For more than two decades, schools of nursing nationwide have experienced an unrelenting shortage of faculty, which has frustrated efforts to meet nursing workforce needs. AACN has led the effort to document the impact of the shortage and help legislators see the direct connection between faculty supply and having enough nurses to keep patients safe.

AACN made great progress this year in advancing our mission to serve as a catalyst for innovation and excellence in academic nursing. Our member schools – the deans/directors, faculty, students, and staff – are the driving force behind AACN’s success.