Rarely are there any comparisons between the educational process in becoming a nurse or a physician. Both have rigorous application and selection processes that require applicant drive, perseverance, and academic excellence. There are clearly significant differences between the two professions in the required length of formalized training and the curriculum of those programs and, it turns out, even in being given the opportunity to begin the educational process to achieve these two diverse goals.
The historical adage "doctors cure, nurses care" is an outdated stereotypical remnant that still deters some people from considering nursing as a professional career choice. But not all. The number of students seeking admission to baccalaureate nursing schools (BSN) grows every year just as the number of medical school applicants increases each year.
Comparing the number of applicants in a post baccalaureate medical school to the undergraduate field of nursing may at first seem like an unusual comparison. Surprisingly, when investigating both professions from an accessibility perspective, it is startling to realize that it is now "harder" to become a nurse than it is to become a physician!
I define "harder" in two distinctly impacting and newly recognized criteria. The inadequate number of available educational positions (supply) and the number of competitive, qualified applicants vying for these coveted openings (demand) are at issue. Both of these criteria influence the success of achieving the dream to become a physician or a nurse. What differentiates these similarities is the actual numbers of people within each of these professions. There are many more nursing school applicants being rejected than medical school applicants. In 2014-2015, the application and admissions realities for both of these disciplines were as follows:
- Physicians: 48,000 qualified applicants for 20,000 available medical school positions -- number of students turned away: 24,000, 42% were accepted
- Nurses: 265,000 qualified nursing applicants for 119,000 available BSN positions -- number of students turned away: 146,000, 45% were accepted
This information coupled with the projected 2025 shortages for both of these professions is where these numbers become even more surprising and fatalistically impacting. In 2025, the projected physician shortage is estimated to be approximately 90,000. The projected nursing shortage is estimated to be 700,000 to 900,000.
Yikes!
Limited educational access to a profession, as seen in the areas of law or medicine, has historically for these fields increased the salary, economic, and human capital value of its members. For law and medicine, salary and value of work are perceived as being more exclusive than in nursing. This can change. But to do so, it must be initiated from within the nursing profession.
Thankfully, approximately 3 million current nurses have chosen their relationship with patients as being unique, valuable, and worthy -- beyond the call of monetary compensation alone. The relationship that nurses have with their patients, coupled with the variability of the expanding role of nurses, has enhanced the attractiveness of nursing. Widely diverse, challenging settings that are attainable in the span of a nurse's time within their professional careers are two major reasons that top the list as to the "why be a nurse if you could be a doctor" question. Being able to walk away and pursue a totally new clinical area of expertise is not as likely for a cardiologist, ophthalmologist or dermatologist.
Over the last 2 decades, much has been written about the demographics and economics of supply and demand in relation to the growing shortage of nurses. An increase in the number of older persons that historically utilize increasingly more health resources will require a more educated workforce to provide the highly technical and complex care required by this population. Ironically, the decreasing financial incentives to pursue a PhD in nursing is limiting the preparation of nurse educators to educate eager applicants. Restrictive boundaries, from entry at the baccalaureate level throughout all of the post baccalaureate graduate nursing specialties (master, PhD, and specialty nurse programs such nurse anesthetist), continue to grow.
"Challenge yourself, be a nurse" now refers to persevering through the process of just getting accepted into a BSN educational program. The rewards of this challenging profession may be more difficult to access, but the journey will be worth it.
As a patient, know that your nurse has competed every bit as much to achieve their dream as your physician has. Maybe more so.
, is a film producer and author of "The Joy of Nursing: Reclaiming Our Nobility."