Health
To combat nursing shortage, universities create accelerated 12-month training programs: 'A win-win'
PORTLAND, Maine – America needs nurses — and some schools are implementing accelerated programs to train them.
To shorten the process, these programs cut training time from up to four years down to one.
“I really do think this is a win-win for students and local hospitals and facilities,” said Elizabeth Mann, assistant clinical professor at the University of New England, in an interview with Fox News. She’s based in Maine.
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Prospective students must have a previous bachelor’s degree and need to complete eight prerequisite courses.
This is dramatically shorter than the typical two- to four-year nursing program.
A student participates in training to become a nurse at the University of New England. (Kailey Schuyler)
“I think the ability to get a second degree in something like a bachelor’s in nursing is very appealing to many people,” UNE Nursing School’s interim director Donna Hyde told Fox News.
“They don’t have to have a health care background. We will get them there.”
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The new fast-track nursing program at the University of New England is slated to begin in May.
The goal is to help students get into the workforce sooner, but they’ll have to put in some serious training as well, experts say.
The states most in need of nurses are Washington, Oregon, California, Michigan and Georgia, according to the National Center of Health Workforce Analysis. (Kailey Schuyler)
“There’s nothing cut back. They do the same amount of clinical hours, so we allow time for that,” said Hyde.
“Their schedule may have to be a little more flexible to include consideration of weekends.”
There’s a projected shortage of over 78,000 registered nurses next year, according to the National Center of Health Workforce Analysis.
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The states most in need of nurses are Washington, Oregon, California, Michigan and Georgia.
“As different states are looking at their own options to increase their nursing workforce, this is one of those options,” Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, the Oregon-based president of the American Nurses Association, told Fox News.
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The shortened 12-month program not only appeals to students, but will also benefit local health care facilities, Mann said.
Hyde noted that she speaks to many of the nurse administrators at local health care partners, and “they obviously see the need for more nurses sooner rather than later.”
Nursing students train in a simulation lab to prepare for the workforce. The shortened 12-month program appeals to students and also benefits local health care facilities, experts say. (Kailey Schuyler)
Some have expressed doubt that students can be ready in just a year, Mann pointed out.
”They may interpret it as [offering] a lesser quality [of training] or that we are pushing students through, and I do want to emphasize that is truly not the case,” she said.
Up to 40 students are expected to start the program in May at the University of New England.
To combat the nursing shortage, some schools are implementing accelerated programs to train new nurses. (iStock)
Once students complete the program, they will have to pass a national exam — just like a traditional four-year student — to officially become a nurse.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
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Yoga is known to boost relaxation, strength and flexibility – and now a new study has found the practice could improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances after cancer treatment.
The findings were presented last week at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
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The study was conducted across multiple U.S. community cancer care sites, including 410 adult cancer survivors averaging 54 years of age. Around 75% were breast cancer survivors, and none of them had practiced yoga regularly within the prior three months.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances in cancer survivors. (iStock)
The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Half of them received only standard survivorship care without the yoga, while the other half received standard care and were also enrolled in the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training.
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Based on questionnaires completed by the patients, the survivors in the yoga group experienced “moderate-to-large” reductions in overall mood disturbance, “small-to-medium” reductions in anxiety and “medium-to-large” reductions in fatigue, the study found.
The improvements in mood and fatigue appeared to be linked to yoga’s beneficial effect on sleep quality, according to the researchers.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training. (iStock)
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug,” lead investigator Yuri Choi, PhD, of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, New York, told Fox News Digital.
The study did not reveal any major safety concerns or serious adverse events related to the yoga practice.
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug.”
The study did have some limitations, chiefly that the findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed for a medical publication.
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“The sample in our clinical trial was relatively homogeneous, with most participants being women (96%), breast cancer patients (75%), Caucasian (93%), and having some college or higher education (82%),” noted Choi.
“We are adapting our intervention to reach all cancer patients and survivors, including the creation of a mobile app to reach people in rural communities.”
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The research also excluded patients with metastatic cancer (whose disease had spread to other parts of the body).
The total study was only four weeks, so more research is needed to determine long-term benefits.
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted. (iStock)
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted.
Some yoga studios may use different names for Gentle Hatha and Restorative yoga, such as Foundations Yoga or Healing Yoga, Choi noted.
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“Survivors should also look for certified yoga instructors who have experience working with cancer patients/survivors or individuals with other challenging health conditions,” the researcher advised. “They should not be afraid to ask their oncology team for referrals to qualified instructors in their community.”
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Choi also noted that the research did not reveal whether other types of yoga, such as heated-room or rigorous-flow yoga, are safe or beneficial for cancer survivors.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
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