NEW REPORT FINDS PROGRESS IN REDUCING NURSING SHORTAGE
Issued During National Nurses Week, Report Finds Enrollment Rates Up at Nursing Schools Nationwide

According to a new progress report -- Healing the Crisis in Nursing -- issued by Johnson & Johnson, 84 percent of nursing schools have experienced an increase in applications and enrollments. Issued in conjunction with the first anniversary of The Campaign for Nursing's Future, Johnson & Johnson's multi-year campaign to attract more people to the nursing profession in hospitals and extended care facilities, the new report finds a major shift in public attitudes about the nursing profession

The report contains new survey findings showing that 55 percent of teens aged 16 to 18 have personally considered a career in nursing or know someone who has and another 67 percent of teens would view very positively the news that a family member or friend was considering a career in nursing. Three-quarters (75 percent) of adults share this view. The survey was commissioned by Johnson & Johnson and conducted by Harris Interactive in October 2002.

"A year ago, the nursing profession was off the radar screen of young adults and second-career seekers," said James T. Lenehan, President and Vice Chairman of the Board of Johnson & Johnson. "Now I am pleased to note we are making progress in addressing one of the most serious problems affecting the health care sector."A year ago, the nursing profession was off the radar screen of young adults and second-career seekers," said James T. Lenehan, President and Vice Chairman of the Board of Johnson & Johnson. "Now I am pleased to note we are making progress in addressing one of the most serious problems affecting the health care sector."

Johnson & Johnson's new report comes at a time when other indicators also show that the tide is changing for the nursing profession. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, baccalaureate nursing school enrollments increased by more than 8 percent between 2001 and 2002. At the same time, the latest Post-Secondary Planning Survey published by the National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA) finds that high school sophomores and juniors rank nursing as one of their top career choices. Johnson & Johnson's new report comes at a time when other indicators also show that the tide is changing for the nursing profession. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, baccalaureate nursing school enrollments increased by more than 8 percent between 2001 and 2002. At the same time, the latest Post-Secondary Planning Survey published by the National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA) finds that high school sophomores and juniors rank nursing as one of their top career choices.

Out of 68 potential options, nursing scored number four within the top five career choices, just behind a career in medicine, law or music, according to the NRCCUA survey. In contrast, the 4 million students surveyed put a career in business in ninth place and gave lukewarm ratings to the following professions: engineering (ranked 23), broadcasting (28), journalism (34), advertising (49), and politics/government (50).

"After years of bad news about the prospects for the nursing profession, the tide is beginning to change across the country," said Peter Buerhaus, PhD, RN, FAAN, Senior Associate Dean for Research at Vanderbilt University's School of Nursing. "The recent rise in nursing school enrollment is encouraging and marks a turning point in the nursing shortage and is something to celebrate."

Johnson & Johnson launched The Campaign for Nursing's Future in February 2002 after conferring with experts in the nursing community and reviewing research on the nursing shortage, which experts project could reach 400,000 nurses by 2020. The Company has already invested more than $25 million in this initiative, which includes:

• Providing free recruitment brochures, posters and videos to hospitals, high schools, nursing schools, and nursing organizations;
• A retention effort providing continuing education for nurses in the areas of leadership and management skills and mentorship programs for nurses;
• Raising funds for student scholarships, faculty fellowships, and nursing school grants;
• Regional "celebration of nursing" events to raise money for the local nursing community;
• A Web site (www.discovernursing.com) about the benefits of a nursing career featuring searchable links to hundreds of nursing scholarships, and more than 1,000 accredited nursing educational programs; and
• A national advertising campaign that celebrates nursing professionals and their contributions to health care.

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About Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson, with approximately 110,300 employees, is the world's most comprehensive and broadly based manufacturer of health care products, as well as a provider of related services for the consumer, pharmaceutical and medical devices & diagnostics markets. Johnson & Johnson has over 200 operating companies in 54 countries around the world, selling products in more than 175 countries.