The Importance of the Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing Education

you know the biggest complaint from nurses and other educated persons who hold higher degrees (masters and above) is that the two year degrees are cheap and are not educated as well as a baccalaureate in nursing, now i admit there are some shortfalls but to me this whole uproar for every nurse to be a baccalaureate nurse upon graduation is shortsighted and foolish, 58.4% of nurses in 2007 were associate degrees instead of requiring every nurse to be a baccalaureate upon graduation restrict where they can work and require them to go back to school instead of causing more problems in healthcare or feed the greedy colleges why do you think there is such a push for people to have baccalaureate degrees? money anybody?

 Could you substantiate using figures; by what percentage did mortality and other health indicators improve by having Degree nurses in acute care settings.

thanks

Yeah. Right. Whatever. That's nice. Nursing shortage? I don't care. I've been working at all my prerequisites and I'm getting straight A's... but... Economy and Expediencey? You're joking, right?

After I finish my baselines, I have to wait 1 year until I can even apply for the RN program.

I've heard the waiting list of 1+ years? Excuse me intelligent persons, but if there's a "critical shortage in nurses"... why are you keeping prospective nurses on hold...?

It takes 1-2 years to complete the RN program.

That's 3-4 years and now you want me to add an additional 2 years onto that? To get my Bachelor's? And it might even take me longer cuz who knows, maybe the University I go to doesn't accept my college's credits and they make me take courses over so they can make more money off of me...

Hah, no thank you! :) I'm changing my major to something a little more expedient. If there's a shortage of nurses, I'm sorry but that is entirely your problem - I tried to help. You wouldn't let me. Now go deal with it.

ADN programs were created during WWII to facilitate more nurses during a shortage. We are still in that shortage of RNs and therefore the rationale for ADN programs is still present.

I graduated with a diploma in 2008 and am so proud to have been part of that 4% of nurses with a nursing diploma.  I had awesome teachers, 3 years of clinical in-hospital hands on experience, and feel that when I first got onto the floor (hospital) I was prepared.  I was able to advance faster than other new grads who have the BSN or MSN degrees, and had been able to take on more responsibility than them as they were still trying to learn how to ex: put in IVs, manage 2-3 patients at a time on a 25 patient med-surg floor, etc.  After 2 months, Charge nurse, and after 6 months on the floor I was precepting BSN/MSN new grads (some who had NEVER put in an IV, changed basic dressings, placed foley catheters, etc. in school!!!)

I believe that having an AWESOME preceptor helped me transition onto the floor.  The hospital did not have a nurse residency program for new grads at the time.  So it was the guidance that I had and being able to learn from experiences that helped me become a better nurse.  I believe that it's up to a nurse residency program or designated preceptor to help "the minimally prepared nurse" to be the best nurse they can be, regardless of the BSN, ADN, or Diploma nurse.

Put BSN/MSN RN new grads on a unit and ADN/Diploma experienced RNs on another unit and let me know who's patients are better taken care of at the end of the shift.  Every educated nurse (regardless of degree) has to pass the NCLEX & have experience.  If the RN is a new grad, give them the opportunity to be in a residency (or give them a knowledgable mentor) until they are observably able to manage as a fully functioning RN. To associate patient mortality rates with whether the RN has an BSN, ADN, or Diploma ALONE is rediculous.

after reading all those comments, I believed that they all have made sense in in their claims, anyway they're all entitled to their own opinion. However i think this issue is more about the individual's will, capacity to learn and ability to deliver the best patient care regardless of the title whether a BSN, an AD or a diploma grad. 

If they're really serious about getting 80% of the nursing workforce to be BSN in 2020, then stop the community colleges and hospitals from offering non-baccalaureate nursing courses effective immediately and just leave the BSN mandatory to the current and/or future nursing students starting hereof.

Taking a nursing course is not cheap and easy.  Economy and expediency would always be a factor of influence that affect the capacity of the individual to complete the course or not. But I got the point that if that individual wanted to pursue a more prestigious career and ultimately a brighter future, then he or she should do everything there is to achieve it.

And it won't be easy for those non-BSN nurses to go back to school and again spend time and money for a baccalaureate degree unless they want to aim for a more prestigious title and ultimately a brighter tomorrow.

fellow citizen think positively.  at least in the US, when you get your degree, you are automatically guaranteed of a promising nursing profession.

In some countries that only mandates BSN degree to be recognized as a nurse, like here in the Philippines, not only that Nursing course cost a fortune... but the academic and clinical requirements are so high and taxing but after graduation, even after passing the state board, there's no guaranteed job available for nurses. So some of these poor fellows ended up in call center jobs, others at warehouses, salesperson in department stores, school office personnel and all other non-patient care type of jobs.

Worst, for them to gain experience after passing the board, they have to pay the hospitals or any medical clinics just to let them work and practice what they have finished, of couse without pay.

Based on HRSA 2008 statistics, almost 49% of the non-U.S. initial nursing education for US RN population came from the Philippines. That was the reason why BSN course became popular in the Philippines, until for some reason, the demands slowed down.  

I hope the same Nursing organizations and associations who push for the BSN degree among the nursing workforce in the U.S. can do something too to accomodate these competent but unfortunate BSNs in the Philippines. There are more opportunity to improve the nursing practice, not only the States but in the global context of patient care as well.

Anyways, Nursing care is supposed to be universal and not bound by any barriers, be it distance ,culture or language, in caring human being.

thank you for reading my letter this far..

I'm reading all of the comments about a nursing shortage, but I want to know where this nursing shortage is? I live on the east coast (mid-Atlantic area) and there is no nursing shortage here. I know some nurses where it takes well over a year to get a job. If you have your bachelors, you have a better shot, as most hospitals around here are requiring that now.