The Looming Crisis
America is facing an acute nursing shortage. According to the American Hospital Association, there are currently over 118,000 vacancies for RNs in U.S. hospitals. Vanderbilt University's School of Nursing estimates that number will reach 800,000 by the year 2020. Nearly 85 percent of hospital CEOs reports a shortage of registered nurses, and by 2020 almost every state in the nation will not have enough nurses to meet the demand.

The need is even greater for perioperative nurses.
The nursing population is aging. Nurses who leave the profession are not being replaced because nursing schools are unable to keep up with the shortfall. In addition, there is a growing demand from hospital operating rooms, ambulatory surgery centers, and the 78 million baby boomers who are putting stress on the medical system.

To assist in meeting this demand the AORN Foundation offers scholarships to students pursuing a career in nursing and nurses who are seeking bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees. For more information on the scholarship program contact the Foundation at 303-755-6300 or foundation@aorn.org.