Eliminate the BSN Degree.. One Person's Opinion

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Over the weekend I was discussing the education of PAs vs RNs with one of the neuro surg PAs I work with. He was shocked to learn that PA education could be had at a community college http://www.aapa.org/pgmview.php3?state=CA

and that graduates would have associates of applied science degrees on graduation. Like RN education. It is my understanding that many or most PA programs are going to be or are two masters programs and that an undergrad degree, but no hands on patient care experience will be required for admission to PA programs.

That's what nursing should do IMO. Eliminate the tending-to-obsolete-anyway BSN degree and make the single point of entry a two year masters degree and require an undergrad degree in a hard science or other appropiate degree. Advance practice nurses would go to DNP programs.

Of course I can see problems with this idea, the main one being pay and work hours. Currently RN pay is OK for a community college graduate and inadequate for a BS degree prepared person. It's unlikely that many people will want to fork out all the time and money to get a masters degree to be an RN for what we are currently paid to have to work nights and weekends, though many people argue that if the education requirement was raised RNs would get paid more. How this would happen nobody can explain to me.

[WinterWolf90]

That's what nursing should do IMO. Eliminate the tending-to-obsolete-anyway BSN degree and make the single point of entry a two year masters degree and require an undergrad degree in a hard science or other appropiate degree. Advance practice nurses would go to DNP programs.

I don't see this happening, ever. For one, it's hard enough to get into a college, finish pre-reqs, and then apply to the nursing program and get accepted based on GPA, because there aren't enough people teaching to have a large group of people get accepted, or at least at my college. Moving it up to a masters means people will have to have a good GPA AND take the GRE and score well to just get accepted? Won't happen. The current core for a BSN, IMO, is where it needs to be.

[elkpark]

Another consideration is that, if all nursing programs were MSN programs, all nursing faculty would have to be doctorally prepared. It's hard enough now to get enough faculty when most schools have a combination of MSN-prepared and doctorally-prepared faculty ...

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I don't see this happening, ever. For one, it's hard enough to get into a college, finish pre-reqs, and then apply to the nursing program and get accepted based on GPA, because there aren't enough people teaching to have a large group of people get accepted, or at least at my college. Moving it up to a masters means people will have to have a good GPA AND take the GRE and score well to just get accepted? Won't happen. The current core for a BSN, IMO, is where it needs to be.

*** I know it won't ever happen. I don't really even want it to, as I pointed out RN comensation is OK for a community college grad but not for a master prepared person, though the PAs don't seem to mind.

That said your argument on the difficulty is a non-starter IMO.