NY State may require nurses to obtain 4-year degrees

[Brian]

But some worry that an already severe shortage will become worse.

New York is mulling over a requirement that would force all RNs to earn a bachelor's degree in order to keep their RN certification-a step that critics worry could serve as a body blow to a profession already facing a severe shortage.

Under the state Board of Nursing proposal, RNs with associate's degrees would have to earn bachelor's degrees within 10 years, or their RN certifications would be downgraded to that of licensed practical nurse. That would make nursing somewhat like teaching in New York state; certified K-12 teachers need master's degrees or must obtain one within three years of starting a job. It would also add years and thousands of dollars to the difficulty of becoming an RN...

Full Article: http://www.rochesterdandc.com/news/0413BA3TIOG_news.shtml

[CarolRNnv]

I'm not offended by this. I think it's a good idea. But like some those of us with ADNs should still be considered RNs and not forced to go back to school. Just make it the standard for the future, which may be a little unfair, but it's also unfair to demote RNs ADNs. Or call us something else, that will denote our ADN status. Just don't mess with my money!

Greetings,

Im not offended, I just dont see making seasoned RNs go back for BSN unless they wanted to.

I tend to agree with you wholeheartedly, but then of course I cant help wonder where LPN/LVN's would fit in the system if in fact, they decide to mandate the ADN to BSN rule.

We on the West coast are just darned happy to get an RN, I dont believe making a stipulation of nurses having a BSN to work will help the shortage.

Grandfather us in is a good idea, and leave it new entry would be ok..but would take more years to get nurses into the workplace.

I wonder if we have that kind of time..

Yahh baby dont mess with ma money! either LOL..

:rotfl:

[JMP]

BSN is becoming entry to practice here in Ontario Canada. Everyone who already is a RN is grandfathered in....meaning you remain a RN, with or without a BSN. The only difference is for grads.......in order to write the RN exam they have to be a graduate of a BSN program...... I am finishing up my BSN now, only because I can see the writing on the wall and feel I need it if someday I want to move away from the bedside. I see it like an insurance policy...in case.

Everyone who is a RN, remains a RN........no one HAS to do anything.

[Energizer Bunny]

If they don't come up with more instructors, how in the world would they implement the BSN program being standard anyways?

[ilovetheelderly]

So after nurses get off their work duty, take care of family, struggle and make family sacrifices (financial, emotional, physical) and start going towards their bachelors, Hopefully, your family has survived, because something has to give, where will the money come from to pay to correspond education with employment. Lets face it, its a bunch of c--p, its bad enough the money just isn't there!! Medicare reimbursements and Medicaid reimbursements just want us to give more and with less people do the job. Someone down in Albany has gone off the DEEP END!!! Working nurses sacrifice enough without having some bureaucrats tell them what will now be required!! NO WAY!! You have nurses now that are barely making it financially and emotionally because of what the profession now entails!

[Newgrad-CCU]

this is very true! I don't understand why they want to make the existing RN's go back for the BSN if you want to mandate that for the future fine ( i personally think this could be a very good idea in a lot of ways) but everybody already in practice or enrolled in nursing school should not be affected. They should just be "grandfathered" in. And the existing ADN and diploma programs should be offered partnership programs with the Universities and Online BSN programs for telecourses and distance learning options so that getting a BSN is accesible to everyone, otherwise this plan just won't work.

I'm new to this forum and after reading this post, I wanted to let you know of what I've heard. My brother works for NYSNA and said that if everyone reads the small print, they will discover that the current ADN's are grandfathered in. He is also a two-year nurse and says that if this wasn't the case, this would never pass. I am also a two-year nurse but I am planning to slowly work on my BSN just in case they decide to do this in Michigan!

[Energizer Bunny]

And then what about those of us just starting ADN programs this year? Are we going to be required to go on before we can get a job? I am not planning to stay in NY but just in case. I am also obviously planning to go on to eventually get my Masters, but not anytime in the very near future.

[MishlB]

Good deal. If you want to be treated as a professional, why not require what is considered a professional degree. In just about every field I can think of that is a bachelor's , and in some cases a master's.

bob

So you only treat people with Bachelor's and above as professionals? My my, aren't we a snob....the fact is professionalism is not taught in a classroom, nor is critical thinking. Experience is what teaches us many things. There is more than enough room for all levels of education in nursing.

[tntrn, ASN, RN]

I just saw this topic and have been quite amused by the responses. I am an ADN nurse, graduated from one of those schools in California many years ago. That school, at that time, had some kind of long record for the highest scores on the Board Exams. And as you all know, that included all the BSN candidates as well.

I have a friend who decided about 2 years ago to "go into nursing." She really had no prior experience with anything even remotely close to patient care or patient education. She has a Bachelor's Degree in something, although I don't know what.

She applied to and was accepted into a very accelerated Nurse Practitioner Program offered by a private university in this area. And we all kept hearing, I'm going to be a Nurse Practitioner. Along the way, I said to her, "Wow. Didn't know you could be an NP without first having your RN." "Oh," she replies,"I'm getting that along with a MSN and the NP" All in about 18-24 months! Now tell me how she could possibly have the clinical training necessary for any kind of entry-level hospital setting? Her goal is to work in an office as a Nurse Practioner.

I wish her all the luck in the world. I love her dearly. But I cannot imagine someone hiring her with no experience of any kind to fall back on. I'm really not sure how many offices are hiring NP's. The OB-GYN practice in our area fired their two midwives in the past 3 years due to financial constraints, so I certainly would not expect them to hire an NP.

Totally agree that ADN's should be grandfathered in and any kind of requirement such as what New York is proposing would apply to NEW RN's only and only after a suitable amount time had passed to allow nursing schools to gear up.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

I just saw this topic and have been quite amused by the responses. I am an ADN nurse, graduated from one of those schools in California many years ago. That school, at that time, had some kind of long record for the highest scores on the Board Exams. And as you all know, that included all the BSN candidates as well.

I have a friend who decided about 2 years ago to "go into nursing." She really had no prior experience with anything even remotely close to patient care or patient education. She has a Bachelor's Degree in something, although I don't know what.

She applied to and was accepted into a very accelerated Nurse Practitioner Program offered by a private university in this area. And we all kept hearing, I'm going to be a Nurse Practitioner. Along the way, I said to her, "Wow. Didn't know you could be an NP without first having your RN." "Oh," she replies,"I'm getting that along with a MSN and the NP" All in about 18-24 months! Now tell me how she could possibly have the clinical training necessary for any kind of entry-level hospital setting? Her goal is to work in an office as a Nurse Practioner.

I wish her all the luck in the world. I love her dearly. But I cannot imagine someone hiring her with no experience of any kind to fall back on. I'm really not sure how many offices are hiring NP's. The OB-GYN practice in our area fired their two midwives in the past 3 years due to financial constraints, so I certainly would not expect them to hire an NP.

Totally agree that ADN's should be grandfathered in and any kind of requirement such as what New York is proposing would apply to NEW RN's only and only after a suitable amount time had passed to allow nursing schools to gear up.

I have heard of similar things. At a nearby university, they offer people who already have a BS/BA in something else a program to become a NP in 16 or 18 months without having any previous nursing expereience. Yep. It seems inadequate to me, but somebody thinks it is sufficient, I guess. Who knows.

[MishlB]

To receive the respect we deserve, we need to develop a more educated work force. Are you aware entry level for an animal care technician is an associate's degree plus 20 continuing education credits in a 2-year licensure period? We require our educators, engineers, and accountants to have a minimum of a baccalaureate education and our nurses are on the same educational level as animal care technicians! This does not seem right to me.

I am SO sick of hearing about what other professions require...apples and oranges...do you really believe the more education a nurse has, the more resepct that nurse gets?? Please. Nurses are constantly creating this drama within our own group, why not appreciate what we know, and what we can teach each other, not what degree we hold. We are responsible for the lives of our patients, yet we are not paid accordingly...let's focus on what nurses deserve as a group, let's stick together and fight for what we deserve, instead of knocking each other down based on education. By the way, I am an ADRN, and took the same boards as BSN's. I behave professionally at work, and am treated professionally as well. Nobody has EVER asked me what type of degree I have.

[Sheri257]

Along the way, I said to her, "Wow. Didn't know you could be an NP without first having your RN." "Oh," she replies,"I'm getting that along with a MSN and the NP" All in about 18-24 months! Now tell me how she could possibly have the clinical training necessary for any kind of entry-level hospital setting?

My point exactly. But hey, according to several people on this thread, as long she's got those initials behind her name, she's more of a "professional."

Afterall, titles do matter more than clinicals and experience. Hell, let's forget the clinicals and experience all together. You really don't need that to become a nurse, and you certainly don't need it for advanced nursing practice ... because it's the title that's most important!

I have serious doubts about some of these accelerated degree programs. You have to wonder what's going on here.

[stevenpb]

The people trying to make a BSN mandatory are people who have at least a BSN. I have an ADN RN and have more of a knowledge base for actual patient care than most BSN nurses i have worked with. In fact, I would not let most BSN nurses I know take care of me! BSN's are fine if you want to do management, but if you want to do patient care, more hands on expierience is needed in training.