MUNCIE, Ind. -- Now is the time to enroll in nursing school, says a Ball State University educator.

Phyllis Irvine, director of Ball State’s School of Nursing, urges motivated and caring individuals to consider professional nursing as a career choice.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that jobs for registered nurses will grow by 21 percent by 2006, compared with a 14 percent increase for other occupations.

That fact should catch the attention of students and parents looking for a secure job market, Irvine said.

"Several other factors support the concept of plentiful jobs in nursing," Irvine said. "We have an aging population in the United States. The elderly need supportive and maintenance care provided by registered nurses. In addition, the average age of working nurses is 44 years, so we will soon see many nurses entering retirement."

Irvine said another concern is the fact that enrollments in baccalaureate nursing programs have decreased almost 20 percent in the last four years.

"If we have fewer people entering the pipeline -- and more people leaving -- then jobs in that pipeline should become very attractive," Irvine said.

A strength of Ball State’s nursing program is its access for qualified students, Irvine said. The two-year associate degree includes an accelerated one-year option for licensed practical nurses. The four-year baccalaureate program includes courses offered over the Internet for those who are already registered nurses. A master’s degree program includes adult and family nurse practitioner options with instruction delivered through the Internet.

"Quality is part of the educational process in nursing programs at Ball State," Irvine said. "We have a very high pass rate on the national licensure examination for registered nurses and on the national certification examination for nurse practitioners."

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information about this story, contact Phyllis Irvine at (765) 285-5571 or pirvine@bsu.edu.)