MUNCIE, Ind. -- It's a good time to become a registered nurse, a Ball State University educator says. Phyllis Irvine, director of Ball State's School of Nursing, said employment opportunities for nurses are increasing despite changes in the nation's health care system.

"Based on recent trends, it seems to me that we're on the verge of another shortage of registered nurses," Irvine said. That's because enrollment in entry-level bachelor's degree nursing programs has declined 20 percent nationally over the past three years. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reported a 6.6 percent enrollment drop over the past year.

"Ball State's nursing enrollment has mirrored national trends," Irvine said. "We have had growth in the associate and master's degree programs but have some space yet in the baccaulreate program."

In addition, a wave of nursing retirements is anticipated. The AACN reports that only 9 percent of the nation's 2.5 million registered nurses were under age 30 in 1996. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the average age of RNs in 1996 was 44 years.

"Reports of hospital downsizing tended to discourage potential nurses," Irvine said. "But the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says employment of RNs will grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2006."

Irvine points out that the move toward community-based preventive care is creating new employment opportunities outside hospital settings.

"The point of care is shifting from hospitals to clinics, outreach facilities, schools and homes," Irvine said. "More nurses will be needed to work in those areas." And hospitals are hiring too, particularly in such specialties as critical and emergency care. Irvine said many hospitals are offering hefty sign-up bonuses to attract experienced nurses.

"When you put it all together, nursing is a wide open job market," Irvine said. "For a student trying to follow trends and deciding what to study, it's a good time to decide to go into nursing."

A strength of the Ball State baccalaureate nursing program is that all students have clinical experiences in critical care areas.

"This part of our required coursework, not an elective," Irvine said. "Feedback from the hospital administrators who employ our graduates notes that they are well prepared to function in the acute care units."