Running head: GLOBAL ISSUES REPORT 1

Global Issues Report

Nursing Tuition

Victoria Sanchez

The University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301

Dr. Vierra

Nov. 19, 2019

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Abstract

This report consists of a global issue that affects the nursing field in regard to tuition cost

compared to Europe. Nursing is a career where many challenges occur either being physically or

mentally exhausting. In this essay we will talk about nursing and how a lower tuition could

benefit the profession in diminishing the nursing shortage using Europe as an example.

1. Nursing is a competitive field

2. Nursing students have a relatively higher stress level than other majors.
3. Continuing education in nursing is required after acquiring a degree in order to be up to
date on global and local medicinal news.
4. Nursing requires high GPA’s to diminish the waiting line students are placed on
5. Nursing has a high tuition rate depending on the country
6. Nurses tend to have educational debt
7. Nursing can open doors to other medical practices
8. Nursing is a high demand career throughout the nation
9. It requires discipline to become a nurse
10. Proposal: UTEP needs to lower tuition rates in nursing education
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Global Issues Report

Nursing tuition and UTEP

Since nursing tuition at UTEP is extremely overpriced compared to the nursing tuition in

Europe. It is hard for students to remain focused and stress-free due to having that financial

reminder constant on their shoulders. For instance, Sweden requires students to pay a total of

$100 for the trial nursing period and first two years with a final payment of $165 in the third

year. At UTEP students pay $420.00 per semester credit hour paying at a higher rate compared to

Sweden. If UTEP where to lower down their tuition, students would have less stress figuring out

how to pay thousands in tuition and would focus more on their education. Potentially more jobs

will develop in this career.

Discussion

Tuition rates in the nursing program in the U.S are known to be higher than those out of

the country. Tuition in Europe is far less expensive than those in the States showing a greater

interest in the field and expanding the career furthermore to assist those in need. For instance, in

the states it takes over 4 years to get a bachelor’s in nursing creating a debt that ranges from

$80,000-$200,000 as compared to Europe where a 3.5 to 4-year duration process will have you

owing $2,500- $12,000 per every year studied. According to Viemont (2016), Assuming cost of

living is comparable (in some Eastern Europe countries it’s a lot lower) and a $2,000 annual

travel budget, getting a nursing degree can be one-third to half the cost of getting a BSN in the

US and you’ll get to see the world. Having this in mind it would benefit students if the tuition

rate was the same as Europe’s by decreasing a student’s financial debt here in the States.

Nursing requires high GPA’s to diminish the waiting line students are placed on. Nursing

students on their first year of studies tend to have different learning methods that other nursing
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students might have difficulty understanding. Every person was taught to have various methods

of learning styles, it is up to the student’s academic choice to use the one they feel most

comfortable with. According to Meehan-Andrews (2009) the majority of students found the

lectures, tutorials and practical sessions to be beneficial to their learning and the combination

reiterates and emphasizes various human physiology and anatomy concepts. Therefore, nursing

students who utilize these methods of educational knowledge towards their work of study will

contribute to a successful career.

Nursing has a high tuition rate depending on the country. Depending on the country one

studies, tuition cost varies from place to place. In the United States, according to the College

Board (2017), the average cost of one year at a public university for an in-state student is

$20,090 increasing numbers if it is and out of state university. With that being said, over 44

million Americans hold a total of $1.4 trillion in student debt. In contrast there are other

countries such as Denmark that take college affordability seriously having a drastic tuition cost

free of charge. Lowering the tuition cost has resulted in a highly educated -population such as

there is in Japan, if the United States would implement some of the ideas other countries have on

tuition the world, it would be more educated and would bring jobs all around.

Nurses tend to have educational debt. Students entering the nursing field end up having to

pay educational debt before even having a stable job inside their career. According to Stone and

Feeg (2013), they found that almost all students had incurred some debt, with only 28% without

any loans to repay, and 57% owing between $5,000 and $60,000 (p.2). With this situation many

students get discouraged and feel misled by the field by having to pay so much money when
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some students even after graduating have trouble getting a job. Therefore, students end up having

to work full or a part time job delaying their studies in the process.

Nursing can open doors to other medical practices Nursing back in the 1800’s is far

different from now a day training. According to Zupancic (2004), there are different programs

for the entry-level education offered at colleges and universities, while some hospital-based

diploma programs still survive. Registered nurses (RN) today have a different variety of fields

they can choose from compared to back then. With this being said, the progress of registered

nurses throughout history has improved recruitment but is still lacking on improving the work

conditions and benefits that come in the field. Even though nurses have stress and demands of

health care, they continue to find a personal reward when practicing their profession. Being in

the work field is far different than being in the educational setting, there will be situations were a

nurse will have to undergo through a difficult situation but will help them out in the long run.

According to Andrew, McGuinness, Reid, and Corcoran (2009), adequate preparation for

practice of students and their mentors is regarded as very important. As a matter of fact, it

impacts a nurse’s career towards success due to the resources obtained from their training

through their mentors’ knowledge and experience. If done as taught, nursing students will look

forward to their placement at work and in their institution for they will not have the same stress

of not knowing what to do.

Nursing is a high demand career throughout the nation. Registered nurses are in high

demand in the health occupation services. According to Hilton (2015), much of this growth in

opportunity is due to changing demographics. As more people become elderly, more will need

nursing care and many more will need long-term care (paragraph 12). RNs must graduate from a

nursing program and pass a national examination to become licensed which they periodically
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renew depending on the state they work in as well as taking continuing education classes for

license renewal (paragraph 16). Therefore, becoming a nurse will take constant training from

institutions in order to achieve the required knowledge to assist those in need.

It requires discipline to become a nurse. It has been known that newly graduated nurses

encounter challenges transitioning from a student aspect to the workforce. Regardless of the

years one has taken in the nursing field, stress will remain as long as the nurse acts upon it by

diminishing it effectively and reasonably. According to Fox, Stokes, and Adam (2012), in order

to persist in challenging work environments, nurses need to develop coping mechanisms to

address their work-related stressors (p. 673). By doing so, the workload will become more

lenient and will contribute to having confidence in the nurse’s performance. Getting knowledge

from experienced nurses is one of the methods first-year RN’s get coping strategies from that

will assist in their career. As the years go by in the medical field, sustaining the nursing

workforce has become a challenge due to the inadequate supply of faculty. According to Cathro

(2011), barriers to the pursuit of studies include financial costs of education and the need to

continue working. Most nursing students need to work in order to pay tuition, loans, and assist

with any personal or family matter. Being in a situation like this creates a distraction in the

persons studies which eventually leads to discouragement towards the career. That is why

discipline and drive towards this profession will help overcome the struggles that will be

encountered throughout the career making the sacrifices worth it at the end.

Conclusion
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Becoming a nurse will have its up and downfalls, though it is a tough field to be a

part of the end will be worth it. As long as a student copes with the stress nurses come

across from in a healthy way and use it to open doors in the medical field. Reducing

tuition would highly impact society in bringing more employment. UTEP needs to

lower tuition rates in nursing education. By doing so it will expand the shortage of

nurses in the west of the U.S where it is typically known to lack of.
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References

Andrew, N., McGuinness, C., Reid, G., & Corcoran, T. (2009). Greater than the sum of its parts:

Transition into the first year of undergraduate nursing

doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2008.03.009

Cathro, H., (2011). Pursuing Graduate Studies in Nursing Education: Driving and Restraining

Forces. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 16(3).

Dunbar, V. (1937). Nursing in Northern Europe. The American Journal of Nursing, 37(2), 123-

130. doi:10.2307/3414035

Hilton, L. (2015). Registered nurse. In Gale (Ed.), The Gale encyclopedia of senior health: a

guide for seniors and their caregivers (2nd ed.). Farmington, MI: Gale.

Hess, A. (2019). Here's how much it costs to go to college in the US compared to other

countries. CNBC. Retrieved from: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/13/heres-how-much-

it-costs-to-go-to-college-in-the-us-compared-to-other-countries.html

Meehan-Andrews, T. A. (2009). Teaching mode efficiency and learning preferences of first year

nursing students doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2008.06.007

Stone, A. M., & Feeg, V. D. (2013). In debt and misled: new graduate voices on the “nursing

shortage.”. Dean’s Notes, 35(1), 1-3.

Utep.edu. (2019). Tuition and Fees. Retrieved from:

https://www.utep.edu/extendeduniversity/utepconnect/financials/tuition-and-

fees/index.html [Accessed 19 Nov. 2019].

Viemont, T. (2016). Nursing Study Abroad: Get Your BSN without Going Broke. Beyond The

States. Retrieved from: https://beyondthestates.com/nursing-study-abroad/

Wu, T., Fox, D. P., Stokes, C., & Adam, C. (2012). Work-related stress and intention to quit in

newly graduated nurses doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2011.09.002

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Zupancic, M. (2004). Nursing. Encyclopedia of women's health. Retrieved from

http://0search.credoreference.com.lib.utep.edu/content/entry/sprwh/nursing/0
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Figures

Figure 1. Tuition fee in euros throughout Europe and other countries.

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Figure 2. Registered Nurse shortage in the U.S expectancy. Copyright RegisteredNursing.org

Figure 3. Chart analyzing higher completion rate in association with lower default rates.

Copyright U.S Department of Education

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Instructor Comments

do not delete

CBFA #1: Satisfactory progress

CBFA #2: Satisfactory progress.
Incorporate one of your figures into the conversation of one discussion paragraph.