ADN Nurses Being Forced to go Back to School?

[tnbutterfly - Mary]

New Rules Send Upstate Nurses (in S.C.) Back to School

Hospitals across the country are now mandating that nurses with associate degrees obtain a Bachelor of Science degree.The change went into effect July 1 for nursing staff at Greenville Health System. The organization anticipates 300 nurses will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding stating that they will return to school for a BSN degree within four years.

The change in education requirements for nursing staff is based on a recommendation from the Institute of Medicine. The non-profit advisory group wants 80 percent of all nurses to have a four-year degree by 2020.

"We hope for the patient, it will provide enhanced care," according to Judith Thompson, CEO of the South Carolina Nurses Association.

One rationale behind this is that since the role of the nurse in the hospital is changing and becoming more complex, more education is needed to keep up.

What do you think about making nurses with years of experience under their belts to go back to school or risk their jobs?

[VANurse2010]

the writing is on the wall - if you want to work you need the credentials. There is no way you can lose with having more education. For instance, we used to have LVN's in the hospital where I work. We are down to 2, and they retire soon. Another hospital in town laid off ALL LVN's recently. So those who failed to advance their education are now out of work. Sign of the times.

That simply isn't true. You can have more debt and make the same money doing the same job. That's losing.

[VANurse2010]

The BSN has been mandatory as entry to practice in Canada for years. Many nurses were grandfathered when the shift first happened, but for many nurses, if they want to advance, they must return to school.

That's the way it is. Similarly, a Masters is now required for most research or teaching positions. We all need to accept it and learn to adapt.

Keep in mind that education in Canada is not the crushing **** storm of debt that it is in the US - even for "low cost" public university education.

[VivaLaVespaGirl, BSN, MSN]

The educational requirements are increasing in just about every other professional field and bachelor degrees are becoming the norm. Heck, many companies even expect that their admin assistants and receptionists to possess a 4 year degree. I do not see why we should not expect the same of nursing, or be uninterested in elevating the status of RN's. I have two bachelor degrees, am finishing up my master's in Public Health, and will start my BSN in January. I anticipate that my education will make me more aware of issues facing entire healthcare systems of delivery rather than just my world of nursing. It will put me in a position to be a stronger advocate for my patients, my fellow RN's, and provide a better opportunity for my input to be valued as healthcare is restructured.

While not everyone has the same ambitions I have, I feel strongly that RN's should welcome higher levels of education if for no other reason than to have "you only have an associates" no longer be a source of disrespect or derision from physicians and administration.

[VANurse2010]

The educational requirements are increasing in just about every other professional field and bachelor degrees are becoming the norm. Heck, many companies even expect that their admin assistants and receptionists to possess a 4 year degree. I do not see why we should not expect the same of nursing, or be uninterested in elevating the status of RN's. I have two bachelor degrees, am finishing up my master's in Public Health, and will start my BSN in January. I anticipate that my education will make me more aware of issues facing entire healthcare systems of delivery rather than just my world of nursing. It will put me in a position to be a stronger advocate for my patients, my fellow RN's, and provide a better opportunity for my input to be valued as healthcare is restructured.

While not everyone has the same ambitions I have, I feel strongly that RN's should welcome higher levels of education if for no other reason than to have "you only have an associates" no longer be a source of disrespect or derision from physicians and administration.

I'm not sure why you feel that a 4 year degree to answer the phone is even appropriate.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I'm not sure why you feel that a 4 year degree to answer the phone is even appropriate.

If you spoke to the number of uneducated, functionally illiterate "administrative assistants" I do, or received written communications from them, or had to go back time and time again because they really don't understand what you sent in clear English, you might understand why a company might prefer to have a more professional workforce to be their customers' first contacts.

[tntrn, ASN, RN]

A couple of years ago, my sister decided to get her BSN. She'd been a diploma nurse from the early 1970's, and then became a Nurse Anesthetist, and finally decided to add the BSN. I asked her if she was a better nurse now with a BSN, and she started laughing uncontrollable.......NO! Absolutely not....but, she said, "I am really good at computer research and power point presentations now."

We are both retired now. And so happy about that.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I'm not sure why you feel that a 4 year degree to answer the phone is even appropriate.

I didn't read that s/he gave an opinion on whether it's appropriate. S/he simply said that many companies expect that of their admin assistants.

[VivaLaVespaGirl, BSN, MSN]

I'm not sure why you feel that a 4 year degree to answer the phone is even appropriate.

I certainly did not say I felt it appropriate - I simply stated that it is becoming increasingly expected.

[VANurse2010]

If you spoke to the number of uneducated, functionally illiterate "administrative assistants" I do, or received written communications from them, or had to go back time and time again because they really don't understand what you sent in clear English, you might understand why a company might prefer to have a more professional workforce to be their customers' first contacts.

Yes, so let's have people get a *4 year* degree for $60,000 minimum to make $28,000 per year. I'm surprised someone of your intelligence doesn't see what a ridiculous allocation of economic resources that is.

[VivaLaVespaGirl, BSN, MSN]

Yes, so let's have people get a *4 year* degree for $60,000 minimum to make $28,000 per year. I'm surprised someone of your intelligence doesn't see what a ridiculous allocation of economic resources that is.

It is not a ridiculous allocation of resources unless your only ambition in life is to be a receptionist or admin assistant. However, I find that to rarely be the case when one has completed a 4-year degree. Everyone starts somewhere, and often that is at the bottom.

And PS: I finished BOTH my bachelor degrees for MUCH less than 60k.

[nursel56]

I found another article on this topic mentioned in tnbutterfly's link which stated that another South Carolina health system (Spartanburg Regional) announced the same policy last year. Basically, it states that their current RN employees with associate degrees must have earned their BSN by 2017 or 3 years from January, 2014.

The mandate would affect 540 nurses, or 45% of their staff as of October, 2013 when they sent out the letter. Further details: Spartanburg Regional nurses must have BSN degree by 2017 .

I haven't been able to find anything that states they have made any changes in their policy. It will be interesting to see what happens to those nurses as the deadline of 2017 approaches.

[Stalirris]

I've been an RN for 22 years, with a ADN. I have my CCRN and 17 years under my belt as a ICU nurse. I am almost done my RN-BSN program, but ALWAYS with the intent to leave the bedside. I'm tired of cleaning up poop off the floor and diarrhea down the bed. I shake my head each time I do and wonder why I would need a 4 year degree for it, despite reading the Aiken research when it first came out. Or rotate every other weekend, or work holidays and night shifts! I guess I've become immune to the "thrill" of nursing because, for me, it mostly entails baths, meds, consulting with MDs, cleaning up incontinence, doing blood draws and sugars, etc. All these items are simple tasks and mundane enough that a ADN could do them.

I suppose part of my cynicism has to do with meeting a lot of nurses in my years, with all kinds of educational backgrounds, and my personal opinion is that you have critical thinking skills or you do not. The BSN grads are not more likely to catch, and intervene, in a vague patient problem that could evolve into a crisis then a ADN grad. It's just anecdotal on my part, though.

My hospital went Magnet several years ago, basically when as soon as they could. My hospital "strongly" (as in the manager thinly veils that you will lose your job) if you do not go for your BSN. There is no pay bump. They offer very minimal tuition reimbursement. The older nurses, 10 years from retirement, are being strong armed into taking on student loan debt when they should be funding their retirement nest eggs! A few have started a RN-BSN program and are slow boating it, a class at a time, just to have it reflect in their yearly evals that they are in a BSN program and get that pittance of a raise.

My prediction is the BSN push may back fire. There are more opportunities outside the bedside once you obtain your BSN. People will be less prone to being run around by administration once they are empowered with a BSN. People will not be content to be treated badly. They will continue their education and become APN or find another niche in healthcare that pays the same.