In today’s world there is a high demand for well qualified nurses. In the healthcare setting the nursing staff can range anywhere from a Certified Nursing Assistant to a Nurse Practitioner. What once was an acceptable level of education for nurses, is no more. Even now there is a nationwide push for nurses to be educated at the baccalaureate level or higher. So the question is, what is the best educational preparation for nurses entering the world of healthcare today? The opinion in this paper is that the baccalaureate level is the best preparation for nurses entering the healthcare field.
A study was done that compared the education levels of nurses who worked in a hospital surgical setting and the number of deaths of patients in that hospital. The study found that there was a correlation between the education level of the nurses and the number of deaths. The study also found that hospitals who had more nurses that were educated at the baccalaureate level or higher, had fewer surgical patients that died and lower failure-to-rescue rates. This article shows that earning anything less than a bachelor’s degree in nursing is not preparing nurses for the situations that they will encounter. The article also discussed how increases in the amount of nurses with a bachelor’s degree in nursing decreased deaths significantly. Because of studies like these, there is no doubt that there is a nationwide push for nurses to receive higher education. Receiving higher education is potentially saving a patient’s life (Aiken, 2014).
Another study was done which involved nurses in Australia. They interviewed nurses from many different areas of Australia and who worked in many different healthcare settings. The interviewers asked the nurses wha...
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In Conclusion, because there is a high demand for well qualified nurses, there is a nationwide push for nurses to get their bachelors in nursing. This will soon be the minimal requirement for nurses in the healthcare field due to the broad scope of medical practice that they are prepared for. The amount of nursing education that is required now in hospitals and other healthcare settings will be changing in the future. Nurses who have a BSN are preferred by employers over those who do not have a BSN. The baccalaureate is the best educational preparation for nurses who are entering healthcare field. There is evidence that supports the fact that nurses who have a BSN save more lives overall than those who do not have a BSN. Earning a bachelors in nursing should be the nationwide requirement for nurses in today’s society due to the ever changing nursing field.
The national shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) has helped generate formidable interest in the nursing profession among people entering the workforce and those pursuing a career change. According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service in 2002, the national population is continuing to grow and age and medical services continue to advance, so the need for nurses will continue to increase. They report from 2000 to 2020 the predicted shortage of nurses is expected to grow to 29 percent, compared to a 6 percent shortage in 2000. With the projected supply, demand, and shortage of registered nurses and nursing salaries ever-increasing, the nursing profession can offer countless opportunities. But first one must determine which educational path to pursue, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Associate Degree in nursing (ADN). Most will initially be educated at the associate degree level, even though the American Organization of Nursing Executives (AONE) has recommended a baccalaureate level as a minimal for entry-level nurses. With the expanding number of RN to BSN programs available there is always the option to further one’s education at a later date. The benefits for acquiring a BSN over an ADN include a better knowledge for evidence-based practice, an increased advantage for promotion, and the necessary gateway for higher education.
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
Taylor, D. L. (2008). Should the Entry Into Nursing Practice be the Baccalaureate Degree? AORN Journal, 87(3), 611-619.
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.
Nursing practice holds different levels of degree for nurses that include Associate degree in Nursing, Bachelor degree in nursing, and Master degree in Nursing. Even though the degree level in nursing are to provide basic care to the patients, but the level of competency and knowledge in the profession is different. Nursing practice in advance level play important role to provide quality of care to patients. Many health care settings require nurses to earn baccalaureate degree level to apply for RN position. The purpose of writing this paper is to identify the proficiency level between an Associate degree of Nursing versus Baccalaureate degree level.
Rayhena Karim: I am a Registered Nurse with fifteen years of experience in Acute Rehabilitation. I completed an Associate of Science Degree in Nursing in 1999 from Rio Hondo Community College. Nursing in today’s healthcare system is challenging because of rapid technological advance and changes in healthcare policies. There is a high demand for professionally educated nurses to meet the needs of a more complex and changing health care system. My desire to pursue a bachelor degree in nursing to enhance my nursing education. As a dedicated nursing professional with a passion for learning, I want to stay on top of these changes and learn all I can to increase my knowledge.
...uickly changing medical technology and environment. The bickering and infighting amongst nurses has to come to a stop if the profession is to move forward alongside the other medical professions. It is too late to take nursing back to the point of basic care of the 19th century now fulfilled by certified nurse aides. A nurse is the first and last person many people will ever see. They provide complex care, recognize symptoms and changes when the ever shrinking physician pool is not available, advocate for patient and families, and care deeply for their patients recovery. In this paper the author used 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 in order to meet the Institute of Medicines goal of 80% of nurses should have BSNs by 2020.
This is a research paper conducted on the very highly pursuited field of nursing. Nursing is a profession in the healthcare field that focuses or assisting others. Not to mention, nurses are heroes because of the many lives they save every day. This is an example that one doesn’t need tights or a cape to be a hero. Never the less, there are many reasons one may want to become nurse. Some of those reasons may be for personal gain or the greater good. However, before becoming a nurse one needs to be educated about educational requirements, licenses and certifications, projected salaries, and the projected job outlook for the next five – ten years for nursing. This research paper will provide thorough information on those four major aspects of
Jacobs, L., DiMattio, M. 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.
Since we have determined the pro’s and con’s for nursing staff regards to bachelor degrees, we will now explore the hospitals’ pro’s and con’s to hiring a nurse with a bachelor’s degree. The American Medical Association printed an article describing the relationship between nurses with bachelor degrees or higher in regards to surgical mortality rates and failure to rescue. The study was designed to test whether hospitals with high proportions of direct-care nurses educated at the BSN level or above have lower risk- adjusted mortality rates and lower rates of failure to rescue. The study also tested whether the educational backgrounds of hospital nurses are a predictor of patient mortality beyond factors as nurse staffing and experience. The results showed for each 10% increase in the proportion of nurses with higher degrees decreased the risk of mortality and of failure to rescue by 5%, after controlling for patient and hospital characteristics. The study reported if the proportion of BSN nurses in all hospitals was 60% rather than 20%, 3.6 fewer deaths per 1000 patients and 14.2 fewer deaths per 1000 patients with complications would be expected. Nurse’s years of experience was not found to be a significant predictor of mortality or failure to rescue in the
A myriad of challenges are faced in healthcare today. From over-crowding and long waiting lists to staff shortages which have knock on effects resulting in inadequate skills mix and unacceptable nurse-patient ratios. An aging population, high birth rates and an increase in chronic diseases also puts pressure on the healthcare system. The nursing role has had to evolve in response to changing societal needs and the challenges in the healthcare system today. (McCurry et al. 2009). This can bring additional challenges to nurses’ professional identity. ??
Nursing has always been a key career in the health care system. Although it is not often focused on in media and stories surrounding health care, nursing is a career of great importance. If any patient was asked about their experience at a hospital or a care center, many will mention the capability and care that they received from the nurses. The health care system could not function efficiently, if at all, if nurses were not present to perform their part. Nurses are more than just physicians support staff. Of interest in this paper is why people choose to study nursing in university or college. From students just graduating high school to mature student who have prior degrees or education, nursing is a popular choice as a path to study
The BSN program helps the nurses in many ways including utilizing the process to the full scale and it will encourage nurses to use their skills like educating the patient as we’ll as creating new nurses. Because of the new health care reform, the BSN program will also aid in filling the gap from the influx of patients. The baccalaureate degrees and BSN program helps prepare students for the significant part they are going to play in reinforcing the new healthcare reform. At present, I utilize and develop nursing care plans in the nursing process, even though it needs some corrections due to the nature of my work. The highest standards of nursing can only be achieved through better research and advanced training.
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