Nursing schools continue to reject more qualified applicants each year, according to an annual survey conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Most schools attribute it to an insufficient number of faculty members.

Last year, schools rejected 41,000 applicants. That is a 24% increase in the number of rejections compared to 2004, when schools rejected 33,000 qualified applicants. Schools rejected 18,000 in 2003, the AACN said.

A more severe nursing shortage is expected to hit the healthcare field, including the nursing home field, over the next few years. A number of nursing schools have launched programs, such as doctoral programs, to increase the number of faculty members.