Final answer:
The biggest challenge universities face in expanding nursing programs is a faculty shortage. This shortage is intensified by increased demands for healthcare and the complexities of the nursing labor market, including supply and demand factors and regulatory impacts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to the challenges that schools and universities face when trying to expand their nursing programs. The correct answer to the challenges of expanding nursing programs is c) Faculty Shortage. Increased demand for healthcare, which includes the expanded access to healthcare for millions of Americans, has exacerbated the demand for nurses. Analyzing supply and demand indicates that the labor market for healthcare professionals faces a shortage, not because of a lack of interest or solely due to funding and regulatory issues but significantly affected by the number of qualified faculty available to train new nurses.
Government regulations may indeed affect the demand for labor by mandating certain qualifications for performing medical procedures, thus increasing the need for certified nurses. However, the main issue at hand is the lack of available faculty to teach the necessary courses, which limits the number of nurses entering the workforce. The impact of tuition increases and a growing number of retiring nurses contributes to the overall complexities of the nursing labor market.