Is it true that a BSN will be mandatory soon?

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Dec 20, 2004

Docs and nurses are like apples and oranges with regard to hospitals. Hospitals don't hire and pay a wage to docs, unless he/she is a house doc (employed by the hospital). Docs are seen as revenue...bringing in the business. The expense to woo them is minimal in that they don't pay them a wage or health care benefits. Nurses however don't function in that capacity. We are "hired" and "provided" benefits "by the hospital." The hospital's mind set, quite often, is that we have "already been wooed"...they employ us. We as nurses often forget about this aspect.

Regarding the BSN aspect, no state would ever NOT grandfather. It would be suicide. I think the point made regarding the field of physical therapy is something to keep in mind. Will we soon outprice ourselves with a change such as this? How will this change, for better or for worse, the use of aids, techs, lvns, lpns in hospitals, agencies, LTC, ASF, etc? Will it become more financially necessary to higher less education to care for sicker patients in this type of scenario? Think not like a nurse...think like an accountant, CEO or director in this case. How can the push for BSN totally upset the apple cart? Will the BSN push leave open a wide hole, used by others who are not nurses, to create loop holes in hiring and staffing that leaves the public more at risk? I don't know. It is something to think about.

kjt2004 · Dec 20, 2004

I couldn't have said it better.......:)

I may be clinging to this desperately, but I hope to someday see a national BSN mandate with grandfathering (using Canada's model).
I wish to see this ONLY for reasons of unity. Once all RN's are 'on the same page' educationally I hope some solidarity will follow. Now, the feuding interferes with us having one clear voice and vision for our profession, IMHO.
I'm a diploma RN but I feel it will be necessary for nurses to adopt this to save our profession...right now everybody is defining us except US.

RN34TX · Dec 24, 2004

I may be clinging to this desperately, but I hope to someday see a national BSN mandate with grandfathering (using Canada's model).
I wish to see this ONLY for reasons of unity. Once all RN's are 'on the same page' educationally I hope some solidarity will follow. Now, the feuding interferes with us having one clear voice and vision for our profession, IMHO.
I'm a diploma RN but I feel it will be necessary for nurses to adopt this to save our profession...right now everybody is defining us except US.

I agree that everyone is defining us except us and that a lot of the inside feuding is over the education issue because we are at different levels but I like to think that is one great unique quality about the nursing profession. The fact that you can be a part of it whether you go to a vocational training program or a university. Other professions can't say the same thing.

I worked in MN as an LPN and everyone was union and had their own contract protecting their best interests. The ADN, diploma, and BSN's were all under the same union and contract and the LPN's were left out and had their own union.

Talk about some feuding! I thought to myself, why couldn't all nurses be under the same contract and union if the ADN's and BSN's could be together.

Why do we all have to be BSN's to unify and strengthen?

By the way, I work with a lot of Canadian nurses in TX who have come down here to work because the future of nursing up there is not so bright.

Canada is a bad example. Do you work with any at your hospital? There is a reason why many of them are down here.

nowplayingEDRN · Jan 24, 2005

And NY is empowering themselves right out of having adequate staff.
THere is a serious shortage of RNs... any RNs...willing to work in NYC. Lets just limit it to those with a Bachelor's degree and watch them drown in a sea of understaffing.

Unfortunatelly this topic has been beat to death.....while I have nothing against furthering education and I feel that is should be encouraged, I agree with caroladybelle.

Nurse212 · Jan 24, 2005

Does anyone know when this policy will go into effect? The reason I ask is because if it hasn't yet and still has a few more years before it becomes official, then the graduating ADN's of today shouldn't be effected by it, making it easier for some..

?????

Blackbird · Jan 25, 2005

I read an article about it. I believe that the powers that be are pushing for it. The plan is to grandfather in current RNs without their BSNs and new ADN grads will have 10 years to complete their BSN.
I think it is a wonderful idea. We need to empower ourselves.

I agree. It's an idea that has flowered for twenty years where I am and it's really given the nursing profession a boost in the right direction. Just quietly, I am floored as to where this discussion has gone and, since venturing into this forum, I have been privately flabbergasted that the US hasn't got a a system similar to that in most developed countries. To be a Registered Nurse in Australia, Europe and the Middle East you need your BSN degree, period. It's not about hospitals and other little hives of political activity, it's the level of education and expertise demanded in medical facilities today, end of story.

In Australia, below the level of RN lies the enrolled nurse (EN) and nursing assistant (NA). Their level belies only their level of education and level of expected expertise and responsibilities not their level as a person which some of the discussion appears to point to. Like society progresses in all manner of things (cars, technology, schooling, science) so, too, does the nursing profession and, in my view, it's up to you to keep up. If it's respect and prestige you're after, aim for the presidency. From where I stand, the US nursing system is lagging way behind the rest of the world and part of that problem rests with the very profession itself.

Blackbird · Jan 25, 2005

I read an article about it. I believe that the powers that be are pushing for it. The plan is to grandfather in current RNs without their BSNs and new ADN grads will have 10 years to complete their BSN.
I think it is a wonderful idea. We need to empower ourselves.

I agree. It's an idea that has flowered for twenty years where I am and it's really given the nursing profession a boost in the right direction. Just quietly, I am floored as to where this discussion has gone and, since venturing into this forum, I have been privately flabbergasted that the US hasn't got a a system similar to that in most developed countries. To be a Registered Nurse in Australia, Europe and the Middle East you need your BSN degree, period. It's not about hospitals and other little hives of political activity, it's the level of education and expertise demanded in medical facilities today, end of story.

In Australia, below the level of RN lies the enrolled nurse (EN) and nursing assistant (NA). Their level belies only their level of education and level of expected expertise and responsibilities not their level as a person which some of the discussion appears to point to. Like society progresses in all manner of things (cars, technology, schooling, science) so, too, does the nursing profession and, in my view, it's up to you to keep up. If it's respect and prestige you're after, aim for the presidency. From where I stand, the US nursing system is lagging way behind the rest of the world and part of that problem rests with the very profession itself.

cammy429 · Jan 25, 2005

I just graduated from an ADN program and took the NCLEX today:o . Anyway, the whole BSN thing is supposed to get voted on by the end of this month and NO it will not affect anyone with a previous ADN...not even the ones that graduated in Dec 2004 like I did. Granted, I do personally want to go back to school within the next year and try to complete my BSN/MSN but i dont think that that should be made mandatory.

Does anyone know when this policy will go into effect? The reason I ask is because if it hasn't yet and still has a few more years before it becomes official, then the graduating ADN's of today shouldn't be effected by it, making it easier for some..
?????

cammy429 · Jan 25, 2005

I just graduated from an ADN program and took the NCLEX today:o . Anyway, the whole BSN thing is supposed to get voted on by the end of this month and NO it will not affect anyone with a previous ADN...not even the ones that graduated in Dec 2004 like I did. Granted, I do personally want to go back to school within the next year and try to complete my BSN/MSN but i dont think that that should be made mandatory.

Does anyone know when this policy will go into effect? The reason I ask is because if it hasn't yet and still has a few more years before it becomes official, then the graduating ADN's of today shouldn't be effected by it, making it easier for some..
?????

stbernardclub · Jan 25, 2005

no....don't see it coming anytime soon...too many diploma schools out there..

stbernardclub · Jan 25, 2005

no....don't see it coming anytime soon...too many diploma schools out there..

Lovely_RN, MSN · Jan 25, 2005

I may be clinging to this desperately, but I hope to someday see a national BSN mandate with grandfathering (using Canada's model).
I wish to see this ONLY for reasons of unity. Once all RN's are 'on the same page' educationally I hope some solidarity will follow. Now, the feuding interferes with us having one clear voice and vision for our profession, IMHO.
I'm a diploma RN but I feel it will be necessary for nurses to adopt this to save our profession...right now everybody is defining us except US.

I don't know if higher education is going to get you guys the respect you deserve. Look at the state of teaching in NYC. Now all teachers must complete their master's degree within 5 years of gaining their initial temporary certification or lose their jobs. This has not caused an improvment in the quality of public education.

Instead teachers got stuck paying for their own master's degree (for the most part there are some exceptions) When they are done they get a whopping 3k raise...you go from 39k to about 43k and people stil have no respect for them.

Anyone who talks about how easy teachers have it with their summer vactions and getting off at 3:00pm has NO IDEA what teaching is about. Belive me I spent plenty of days in my classroom prepping until 7pm and 8pm at night.

You also spend plenty of money out of your pocket to supply your classroom etc. I bought book bins..a rug...chalk...paper etc etc. The schools are suppose to provide you with these things but for some mysterious reason they are always short. :rolleyes:

Have you all consider that additional degrees will not get nurses the respect they deserve? Have you all ever considered that nursing like most female dominated professions isn't well respected simply because it is A FEMALE dominated profession?

Same as secretaries (i've done that too and at the corporate level it IS a skilled profession) or any other profession that employs mostly women. I think a lot of it is plain old sexism and having 10 degrees behind your name isn't going to change a thing.

If nurses want respect they simply have to band together and demand it. Instead I see a lot of division amongst the different levels of nursing.

Without unity nurses will never get ahead.