The field of medicine is a continually evolving field. There are developments in medicine made daily that affect both medical professionals and patients. While the positive progress of medicine offers many obvious advantages, it is important that the knowledge of everyone involved with health care grows with these advancements. With the evident importance of nurses in the healthcare setting, the education of nurses is clearly significant. There are many problems in the nursing field that are associated with the inability to set standards at the entry level (Jacobs et al., 1998). The writer believes that the nursing degree should always be advanced to a bachelor’s degree, and then fostered with continuing education courses. Furthermore, the bachelor’s program should place an importance on forming a good knowledge foundation and then building clinical skills. Ultimately the writer believes a highly clinical and critical thinking bachelor’s program is the best educational preparation for an entry level nurse. In order to practice as a nurse in the United States a passing score on the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse after attending a certified nursing program is mandatory (Dyess & Sherman, 2009). After completion of this prerequisite, nurses are licensed and expected to have the same general knowledge of all other nurses. A study done by the Advisory Board Company showed that only 10% of hospitals feel that their new graduate hires are fully equipped to offer secure care (Dyess & Sherman, 2009). Currently 10% of nurses working in an acute care atmosphere are recent graduates (Dyess & Sherman, 2009). Recently the notion that newly graduated nurses are not fully prepared to enter the working force has raised c... ... middle of paper ... ...w graduate and experienced nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(1), 139-148. Jacobs, L. A., DiMattio, M. J. K., Bishop, T. L., & Fields, S. D. (1998). The baccalaureate degree in nursing as an entry-level requirement for professional nursing practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, 14(4), 225-233. McEwen, M., Pullis, B. R., White, M. J., & Krawtz, S. (2013). Eighty Percent by 2020: The Present and Future of RN-to-BSN Education. The Journal of nursing education, 1-9. Rozmus, C. L., Jones, D., Meyers, S., Hercules, P., & Schumann, R. (2014). Pacesetter curriculum: An experimental design evaluation of a clinical immersion model for nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 4(6), p60. Zimmermann, D. T., Miner, D. C., & Zittel, B. (2010). Advancing the education of nurses: a call for action. Journal of Nursing Administration, 40(12), 529-533.
Taylor, D. (2008). Should the entry into nursing practice be the baccalaureate degree?. AORN Journal, 87(3), 611-620. doi: 10.1016/j.aorn.2007.07.006
The topic of "ADN versus BSN" is one that has plagued the nursing profession for decades. Does a nurse’s level of education really matter? Can ADN nursing graduates perform their duties as well as BSN graduates? These are the types of questions that continue to be debated by policymakers, educational organizations and associations, and the general public. This may be because nurses are now one of the least educated health care roles when compared to other health care professions that are now requiring bachelor degrees or higher for entry. A more likely reason is undoubtedly due to the growing body of evidence suggesting that BSN graduates are more prepared when entering the workforce than their ASN counterparts. These findings have made some hospitals decide to only hire BSN prepared graduates or higher. Linda Aiken, director of the center for health outcomes and research at Penn State, recently stated "the evidence base is growing, and a number of hospitals are acting on it” (Burling, 2010). If employers prefer BSN prepared nurses, why don’t more of them offer pay differentials or other incentives to return to school? The answer to that question is still unknown. The Veterans Administration (VA) is one exception. The VA leads the country in employing the most registered nurses according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2011). The VA made the decision a decade ago to establish the BSN as a requirement for new hires. The VA devoted $50 million in approximately five-years to help
Lord, M. (14/5/2002). Making a difference: The implcations for nurse education. Available: http://www.nursingtimes.net/making-a-difference-the-implications-for-nurse-education/206457.article. Last accessed 17/12/2013.
Taylor, D. L. (2008). Should the Entry Into Nursing Practice be the Baccalaureate Degree? AORN Journal, 87(3), 611-619.
Laureate Education (Executive Producer). (2009). Issues and trends in nursing: Professional practice models. Laureate Education Inc
There is a shortage of all health care professions throughout the United States. One shortage in particular that society should be very concerned about is the shortage of Registered Nurses. Registered Nurses make up the single largest healthcare profession in the United States. A registered nurse is a vital healthcare professional that has earned a two or four year degree and has the upper-most responsibility in providing direct patient care and staff management in a hospital or other treatment facilities (Registered Nurse (RN) Degree and Career Overview., 2009). This shortage issue is imperative because RN's affect everyone sometime in their lifetime. Nurses serve groups, families and individuals to foster health and prevent disease.
..., R.M. & Jones, J.R. (2010). From practice to education: Perspectives from three nurse leaders. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 41(2), 83-87. doi: 10.3928/00220124-20100126-0
Nursing, as a crucial part of the health care system, keeps evolving while dealing with an increasingly complex clinical situation that involves quality of patient care. Therefore, to successfully handle these scenarios, nursing needs to become more advanced, clinically and academically. A DNP degree is needed in this situation because according to Dunbar- Jacob, Navito & Khalil (2013), a DNP degree is considered to have more impact on nursing than a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree due to the advanced clinical education a DNP provides (p. 425). Hence, the DNP degree has an enormous impact in nursing practice especially in terms of improving clinical care, promoting leadership roles, and improving educational status.
For the past few decades, there have been ongoing discussions involving the preferred educational level for nurses entering the field of healthcare. Two routes can be taken to entering the field: one can finish a two-year program and obtain their associate or add two years and get their baccalaureate instead. There are differences, albeit minor ones, between nurses prepared at the associate degree level versus those prepared at the baccalaureate level. However, an increase in technological advances in nursing field, and a higher demand for patient care has recently sparked the discussion of whether or not it is beneficial for nurses to further their education and obtain a baccalaureate degree or even a master’s degree as the case may be.
Fields, S., Bishop, T., DiMattio, M., & Jacobs, L. (1998). The Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing As an Entry-Level Requirement for Professional Nursing Practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, 14, 225-233.
The need for a BSN is for entry into nursing practice is widely supported dating back to 1965 when the American Nurses Association (ANA) published a paper stating the BSN to be the minimal level of education for entry in to practice (Taylor, 2008, p. 611). In the opinion of this author, in order to move the practice of nursing from a technical job to a professional career it is vital to have a minimal education of a BSN. Having a BSN helps to level the ...
There has been great debate in the nursing community for years regarding what should be the educational requirements for a practicing nurse. There are currently many options for men and women to enter the field through LPN, ADN, and BSN programs. More recently, programs have been popping up allowing accelerated BSN obtainment through second degree programs. The debate stems from the conflicting ideas of whether nursing as a whole is a trade, requiring an associate’s degree, or should be considered a profession, often requiring a Baccalaureate degree. In this paper this author will use past nursing history, current medical demands and advancements, and clinical patient outcomes to argue that the minimum education for a nurse should be a Baccalaureate degree.
Transitioning from nursing school to working in a hospital setting can be a challenging time for a new graduate. Due to the nursing shortage, new graduate nurses are being hired with little to no experience. This is overwhelming for new nurses, especially when they are not getting adequate support or training from the hospital. The amount of stress, pressure, and lack of training is leading to a high turnover rate for new graduate nurses. With patient acuity on the rise, new graduate nurses that are filling these vacancies in the hospitals, need to be competent nurses to provide proper and safe care to the patients.
There is only so much an individual can learn from a textbook or classroom setting when it comes to nursing. Although clinical practicums are mandatory with any nursing program one can only retain so much in such a short timeframe. Student nurses mostly focus on completing their care plans and any other mandatory assignment related to their clinical experience. With that being said new graduates become novice nurses on the level of clinical practice. Patricia Benner discussed the education and experience levels of nurses by utilizing five significant stages. These stages include novice, advance beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. The ultimate goal for all nurses should
What is a nurse? Is a nurse a caregiver, a patient advocate, a professional? There certainly could be a place for the technical and professional nurse in today’s world, but they are not differentiated in the workplace. Hospitals have stopped hiring Licensed Practical Nurses altogether, and Registered Nurses with an Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) are doing many of the same jobs as nurses with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) in the hospital and clinical setting. While the Registered Nurse with the higher level of education may have more opportunity for advancement, their roles are not clearly differentiated in everyday practice. It appears that ADNs and BSNs are being used interchangeably in the workplace due to the lack of availability of BSNs. It seems as though the pendulum has swung more toward the direction of ADNs being placed in management roles due to years experience, rather than level of education (Hess, 1996).