starts with training and education, as most other professions. Historically and currently, there is much controversy among national nursing boards, organizations, associations, and educators on what the minimal level of education should be for entry level practice including to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, commonly known as the NCLEX. The American Nurses Association has long supported a bachelor’s degree for entry-level nursing practice, despite the current
Preparation for Nursing Practice There is much controversy about the educational requirement to prepare nurses for practice. Rather the minimal education level be a diploma, associate degree in nursing (ADN), or bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) a need for an agreed upon education level for practice is necessary. There is a wide range of nursing related practices all of which do not require the same amount of education and this author agrees with the National League of Nursing (NLN) concerning
Nursing has a long history of being integral to healthcare. However, without flexibility and continual development, it is at risk to stagnate and lag behind other professions. One change could have significant impact in averting, or some would say 'reversing', that negative trend: to raise and establish the minimum entry requirement for nursing practice. Over the years medicine has changed, society has changed, and culture has changed. These changes necessitate a malleable profession that adapts
ongoing debate for the requirements to become a Registered Nurse (RN) has been unsettled. Several different educational pathways lead to an RN licensure; however, the minimum educational requirements must be standardized at the baccalaureate level for several reasons. Spetz and Bates (2013) published that a growing number of hospitals prefer hiring nurses with a Bachelor Science in Nursing (BSN) as this increases the status of the nursing profession (p. 1). Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), as well as
One of the biggest obstacles of nursing is transitioning from the publics view of them being a vocation rather than a profession. The leading factor in this perception is the inability to define what a nurse is and what their job entails. The nursing community could put an end to not being perceived as a profession by putting into practice a set of standards. The biggest standard is implementing a baccalaureate degree as the entry level of practice. With the ability to define the starting position
Creating the Professional Nurse Nursing encompasses several levels of education and licensure. For decades the differentiation between these levels has been debated, primarily between the differentiation of the Associates degree in Nursing (ADN) and the Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing (BSN). The associate’s degree, which began with the intention of creating a technical nurse, has developed into being “equivalent” to a bachelors degree (Hess, 1996). The two degrees however are not equivalent
whether or not to set the baccalaureate degree as the standard entry level into nursing programs has been the topic of debate for quite some time. Across the nation professional healthcare organizations and facilities continue to deliberate over nursing education requirements. As healthcare continues to evolve, so do the skills and the educational requirements for practicing nurses. Baccalaureate or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs place a strong emphasis on educating future nurses
Importance of Requiring Baccalaureate Degree for Entry into Nursing Profession That scientific advances in technology and the advancement of healthcare practices and techniques are inexorably coupled is an undeniable fact. While this tightly knit and dynamic relationship is certainly an exciting prospect, it is also a somewhat intimidating one in that it raises a multitude of questions about how medical professionals can be expected to keep up with a field so dynamic that it changes daily (Taylor
on the nursing education dilemma. Their position declared that a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN), not an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN), should be the requirement for an entry-level nurse (Blaney, 1986). Debates have continued since the 1960’s and nursing degree titles and requirements have been changed and changed again. Recently there has been a strong push toward a strict standard in nursing education and the importance of doing away with the ADN and making the BSN the entry-level requirement
makes the decision to attend nursing school, there is a vast amount of information that needs to be considered before beginning the trek through education. From entry-level degrees such as the Associate Degree in Nursing (RN or ADN), the Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN), to the advanced practice degrees, Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN), and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). All of these degrees have scopes of practice that pertain to their specific education (McEwen, Bridgette, White,