Jean E. Bartels chairs the School of Nursing at Georgia Southern University and is president of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

With the government projecting a shortfall of 800,000 nurses by 2020, health care providers are looking to the nation's nursing schools to increase student enrollment and bridge the work-force gap.

The challenge facing nursing education is daunting. Though interest in nursing is high, the ability to significantly increase nursing student enrollment is severely limited by the shortage of nursing faculty, deep budget cuts and insufficient classroom space.

Though the American Association of Colleges of Nursing reported a 16.6 percent increase in enrollment in entry-level nursing programs last fall over the prior year, nearly 16,000 qualified applicants were denied admission due to funding and other resource constraints. In all likelihood, these wouldbe nurses will move forward with their education in other areas and leave nursing behind.

Solving the nursing shortage requires the collective efforts of nursing, health care providers, consumers and government policy-makers. Thankfully, some major players within the health care community are answering the alarm and moving to address the nursing shortage in significant ways.

Tenet Healthcare Foundation announced in January that it will award $2.78 million in grants over the next three years to support accelerated baccalaureate programs in nursing in Florida, Georgia, Texas and southern California. Grants exceeding $500,000 each were presented this year to the nursing schools at Georgia State University in Atlanta and Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla.

Johnson & Johnson also stands out as the nursing profession's "corporate partner" in the struggle to strengthen the work force and raise the profession's positive profile. The company's Campaign for Nursing's Future has helped to renew interest in nursing careers through television advertisements, the DiscoverNursing.com Web site and the distribution of free recruitment materials to nursing colleges and high schools nationwide. And through several regional J&J Nursing fundraising galas, an additional $5 million in nursing scholarships, fellowships and faculty grants has been raised during the past three years.

By supporting graduate nursing programs, Johnson & Johnson is helping to ensure that teachers and mentors will be available to prepare the next generation of nurses.

Though these efforts are having a significant impact, much more must be done. Nursing welcomes other corporate citizens, foundations and philanthropic organizations, advocacy groups as well as state and federal governments to take a larger role in addressing this crisis. Business and practice partners are needed to fund scholarships, support outreach programs to middle and high school students, provide space for student training, raise money for faculty recruitment and encourage ongoing nursing education.

Resolving the nursing shortage is a national priority that requires a collective response from those preparing and employing nurses, as well as those who will some day require nursing services. Together we must ensure that the nursing work force is adequate in number and educated to provide the best care possible. The health and future welfare of our nation depends on its nurses.