BSN

[RNMAN718]

It seems ridiculous to me that "magnet status" requires BSN and having it gives better reimbursement for hospitals. Does it not seem as if it is only a ploy for educational institutions to get more money

[angeloublue22, BSN, RN]

I'm actually going to school right now for RN-BSN and it entrails a heck of a lot or scholarly papers about similar subjects that focus on health care law, leadership, and pretty much how to be an administrator. While it's educational and I'm learning a lot. None of it applies to floor nursing unless they start giving floor nurses more power over patient care planning. Also, most places don't even allow you to be an administrator to use this new education because they want master degrees. No, I don't see a point, but I'm forced to throw away a large sum of money to give companies and schools what they want.

[Central BSN, RN]

Of course one factor is money, when is it not? That said research has shown a link between BSN prepared nurses and better patient outcomes. It's also a necessary stepping stone if you wish to move into leadership positions or graduate school.

Plenty to read if you google the subject if your interested.

[elkpark]

Welcome to allnurses! A few thoughts:

A) The Magnet credential doesn't "require" BSNs.

B) To the extent that Magnet hospitals get increased reimbursement, that is because research has demonstrated better outcomes at Magnet hospitals compared to non-Magnet hospitals (demonstrated it strongly enough that insurance companies are impressed enough to pay more, which is saying quite a bit ...)

C) There are lots of existing threads here complaining about Magnet, the push for more BSNs, and whether or not that is a scam to make money for schools, with plenty of "lively" discussion. Have you taken a look?

[Farawyn]

Of course one factor is money, when is it not? That said research has shown a link between BSN prepared nurses and better patient outcomes. It's also a necessary stepping stone if you wish to move into leadership positions or graduate school.

Plenty to read if you google the subject if your interested.

I would love to see the "plenty of research between BSN prepared nurses and better patient outcomes". Please provide links to back up your statements. Thank you.

[RNdynamic]

Of course one factor is money, when is it not? That said research has shown a link between BSN prepared nurses and better patient outcomes.

Plenty to read if you google the subject if your interested.

No, it hasn't.

[Central BSN, RN]

I would love to see the "plenty of research between BSN prepared nurses and better patient outcomes". Please provide links to back up your statements. Thank you.

Oh you would like some research? No problem!

In a study published in the October 2014 issue of Medical Care, researcher Olga Yakusheva from the University of Michigan and her colleagues found that a 10% increase in the proportion of baccalaureate-prepared nurses on hospital units was associated with lowering the odds of patient mortality by 10.9%. Titled Economic Evaluation of the 80% Baccalaureate Nurse Workforce Recommendation,” the study authors also found that increasing the amount of care provided by BSNs to 80% would result in significantly lower readmission rates and shorter lengths of stay. These outcomes translate into cost savings that would more than off-set expenses for increasing the number of baccalaureate-prepared nurses in hospital settings. Medical Care.

Posting online in August 2014 by the International Journal of Nursing Studies, a team of researchers from several nursing schools in South Korea and the University of Pennsylvania found that a 10% increase in baccalaureate-prepared nurses was associated with a 9% decrease in patient deaths in South Korean hospitals. The authors concluded that increasing the number of nurses with the BSN would significantly reduce the number of in-hospital deaths. http://www.journalofnursingstudies.com

Published in The Lancet in May 2014, authors of the study titled Nurse Staffing and Education and Hospital Mortality in Nine European Countries: A Retrospective Observational Study” found that that patients experiencing complications after surgery are more likely to live if treated in hospitals with adequate nurse staffing levels and higher numbers of BSN nurses. Following a review of more than 420,000 patient records in 300 hospitals spanning nine European countries, finding show that a 10% increase in the proportion of nurses holding a bachelor's degree in an acute care setting is associated with a 7% decrease in the risk of death in discharged patients following common surgeries.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)62631-8/abstract

In an article published in the March 2013 issue of Health Affairs, nurse researcher Ann Kutney-Lee and colleagues found that a 10-point increase in the percentage of nurses holding a BSN within a hospital was associated with an average reduction of 2.12 deaths for every 1,000 patients—and for a subset of patients with complications, an average reduction of 7.47 deaths per 1,000 patients.

In the February 2013 issue of the Journal of Nursing Administration, Mary Blegen and colleagues published findings from a cross-sectional study of 21 University Healthsystem Consortium hospitals which found that hospitals with a higher percentage of RNs with baccalaureate or higher degrees had lower congestive heart failure mortality, decubitus ulcers, failure to rescue, and postoperative deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism and shorter length of stay.

In the October 2012 issue of Medical Care, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that surgical patients in Magnet hospitals had 14% lower odds of inpatient death within 30 days and 12% lower odds of failure-to-rescue compared with patients cared for in non-Magnet hospitals. The study authors conclude that these better outcomes were attributed in large part to investments in highly qualified and educated nurses, including a higher proportion of baccalaureate prepared nurses.

In an article published in Health Services Research in August 2008 that examined the effect of nursing practice environments on outcomes of hospitalized cancer patients undergoing surgery, Dr. Christopher Friese and colleagues found that nursing education level was significantly associated with patient outcomes. Nurses prepared at the baccalaureate-level were linked with lower mortality and failure-to-rescue rates. The authors conclude that moving to a nurse workforce in which a higher proportion of staff nurses have at least a baccalaureate-level education would result in substantially fewer adverse outcomes for patients.”

In a study released in the May 2008 issue of the Journal of Nursing Administration, Dr. Linda Aiken and her colleagues confirmed the findings from their landmark 2003 study (see below) which show a strong link between RN education level and patient outcomes. The noted nurse researchers found that every 10% increase in the proportion of BSN nurses on the hospital staff was associated with a 4% decrease in the risk of death.

In the January 2007 Journal of Advanced Nursing, a study of 46,993 patients conducted by researchers at the University Toronto found that hospitals with higher proportions of baccalaureate-prepared nurses tended to have lower 30-day mortality rates. The findings indicated that a 10% increase in the proportion of baccalaureate prepared nurses was associated with 9 fewer deaths for every 1,000 discharged patients.

In a study published in the March/April 2005 Nursing Research, Dr. Carole Estabrooks and her colleagues at the University of Alberta found that baccalaureate prepared nurses have a positive impact on mortality rates following an examination of more than 18,000 patient outcomes at 49 Canadian hospitals. This study, The Impact of Hospital Nursing Characteristics on 30-Day Mortality, confirmed the findings from Dr. Aiken's landmark study from 2003.

In a study published in the September 24, 2003

Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Linda Aiken and her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania identified a clear link between higher levels of nursing education and better patient outcomes. This extensive study found that surgical patients have a "substantial survival advantage" if treated in hospitals with higher proportions of nurses educated at the baccalaureate or higher degree level. A 10% increase in the proportion of nurses holding BSN degrees decreased the risk of patient death and failure to rescue by 5%.

We good?

[Central BSN, RN]

No, it hasn't.

Please see above.

[angeloublue22, BSN, RN]

As has been discussed before, those studies don't take into consideration that many BSNs were first ASNs with experience which makes the studies a little inaccurate.

[Central BSN, RN]

Those that have a pre conceived bias towards the outcome of a study will always attempt to draw conclusion that merit there skepticism. If anyone has taken a few research courses and/or published a study they can attest to this.

Not directly saying anything against you. Just pointing out those that have issue with the outcomes of said studies, will always look for something to justify why the study is "wrong" and there notion is "correct". This I believe is why the debate on these forums is constant.

[BSN16]

I don't know if it's a ploy really....ANA has been suggesting baccalaureate prepared nurses for years

[RNcali22]

1st Central BSN, RN great pulling all that together to back up your point. I like seeing the research. Wanting that evidence is probably the biggest thing I got out of my BSN. On the other note as far as patient care and the core of who I believe I am as a newer nurse came from my ADN training hands down. My BSN taught me how to look for info for EBP and write one heck of a paper to spread that info but my ADN meant more to me because that is where I learned to crawl. The research is abundantly clear regarding pt outcomes and mortality regarding BSN nurses. I don't think it's a question of better or worse, I think it's more of an opportunity to have a deeper understanding and how in the heck would be having more education be bad. Knowledge and the search of it is a beautiful thing. In the end we are all nurses ADN, BSN etc we should support each other no matter the letters