Is it true that a BSN will be mandatory soon?

mimi1jb · Feb 23, 2008

First off i would like to say I agree with everyone. I am a nursing student who will be graduating with my BSN in may ( yay). In my contemporary issues class I am suppose to conduct a debate on the positives in obtaining a BSN in 10 years. Quite frankly I cannot find any. Everything listed is a con. The shortages, same pay, same exam taken, everything. Im from NY and cannt seem to find this "law" thats going to be enacted. It seems that this has been going on for decades. I know we all feel the same but does anyone know where i can find any information on the positive aspects for my debate??

Thank you in advance

Neats, BSN · Feb 24, 2008

The following was voted on at a QA state meeting in WA state last October. You can go to their website and find out more info. Who knows if it will fly but I say good, it is about time. I may get blasted in this site for saying this but I do think we should have some sort of professional pathway, career salary schedule and national NCLEX tier testing for ADN and BSN choices.

Council of Nurse Educators of Washington State (CNEWS), October 11-12, Dr.

Susan Woods, Usrah Claar-Rice, Paula Meyer

DISCUSSION: The CNEWS unanimously voted to endorse a proposal strengthening

the educational requirements for RNs starting in 2020. Under the proposal nurses

licensed after 2020 will be required to obtain a baccalaureate degree in nursing or higher

within five years of initial licensure. Nurses who are currently licensed will not be

impacted by this decision. The purpose is to ensure continuing competency of the

professional working nurse force, to acknowledge the increasing complexity of care and

the education required to protect the safety and health of the residents of Washington

State. The plan promotes a comprehensive model of excellence and consistency within

nursing education. Legislation for funding The Center for Nursing required the report

and it will be submitted to DOH.

The second resolution addressed articulation agreements in place. LPN programs

require a formal progression by 2010. By 2012 they will need to have a formal

progression plan for RN programs. This resolution was also unanimously adopted.

MrsMommaRN · Mar 3, 2008

If you do not consider education as a reason for us being treated as second class, perhaps you can explain why Pjysical Therapist, who require a Master's, are not treated the same way? Or even Occupational Therapists? They may have P.T. assistants but no one ever calls them a Physical Therapist by mistake. No one would dare, the Physical Therapists would never stand for it.
Woody:balloons:

Hmm. I work at a major orthopeadic hospital, we work with physical therapist and their assistants daily. Yes many patients and families make the mistake of calling the assistant the therapist. Even if they are corrected patients continue to call them the therapist.

As nurses we need to stand together and make it clear our role. When a patient asks where their other nurse is we politely explain that so and so is our nursing assitant.

HealthyRN · Mar 8, 2008

I think it is unfortunate that we are not moving faster toward a BSN requirement. Until this happens, we will never be on the same playing field as other health care professionals.

Many other areas of the world are already ahead of the US in this debate. The European Union now has a requirement for BSN. I believe they still have ADN programs, but nurses who go through these programs are considered technical nurses and must complete a BSN program within a certain time period. I don't see why we couldn't do something similar in the US. We could keep ADN programs open, but all nurses would be required to get the BSN. How can someone argue that more education isn't good?

It really bothers me when people make the argument that we can't move toward a BSN requirement because it would discourage career-changers, older people, or people who can't afford BSN programs. There are shortages of other health care professionals, but those professions aren't lowering their educational standards just to make it easier for people to enter the profession. The assumption should be that if one really wants to be a nurse, they will find a way to do so and comply with the requirements to enter the profession, even if it isn't easy.

Conqueror+, BSN, RN · Mar 10, 2008

Nurses are treated as second class citizens because it is still a predominately female profession and medicine is predominately male. Like it or not this is still America and it is a patriarchal society at its foundation. Have things improved some? Of course. Are we there yet? Of course not. As long as we have whore/stud labeling you'll know how much we've changed. Also, women do tend to be more catty and jealous and that causes division. I had a Unit Manager not promote an excellent nurse because she was 15 years her junior and she didn't want her to be the "pretty one" in all the meetings. Apparently that had been her title since middle school and she wasn't ready to let it go just yet. Go figure. And actually I do have many more stories along those lines so don't kid yourself that it's isolated and far fetched.

G47_1 · Mar 11, 2008

Hello yeah I hope we will also be employed now. Kindly help us. Thanks.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Mar 11, 2008

Please remember that the original topic of the thread was whether a BSN will be required for employment in a certain number of years. It seems to be a familiar refrain that keeps getting tossed about but never actually coming to fruition.

This topic seems to be straying a bit far away from the original topic. Let's please try to come back to it. Thanks. :)

PMFB-RN, RN · Mar 11, 2008

One of these factors is stagnant wages. One way to fix that is to make it mandatory that an RN have a BSN and possibly leave diploma and associate programs to cover LPNs and such. The wages for LPNs would not drop and the wages for RNs would raise considerably.

*** Oh really? Where would the money to raise RN wages "considerably" come from? Nurses who have BSN's don't generate any more revenue for hospitals than ADN nurses so how is having the degree going to result in higher wages?

The only thing I have seen that really raises RN wages is unions.

PMFB-RN, RN · Mar 11, 2008

I think it is unfortunate that we are not moving faster toward a BSN requirement. Until this happens, we will never be on the same playing field as other health care professionals.

*** No, so long as we are unable to bill directly for our services we will never be on the same playing field. We are part of the room charge and that isn't going to change if all nurses are required to have a BSN.

Many other areas of the world are already ahead of the US in this debate.

*** That may be your opinion. In my view they are not ahead of us, but rather on the wrong path.

I don't see why we couldn't do something similar in the US.

*** I don't see why we should.

We could keep ADN programs open, but all nurses would be required to get the BSN. How can someone argue that more education isn't good?

*** If more education is good then why not make DNP the entry level for RNs?

PMFB-RN, RN · Mar 11, 2008

The nursing shortage Is real. But, what about the hospitals who are applying for magnet status? In order to do that, one of the criteria is that all of their working RN's, must hold a BSN. Or atleast this is what I've heard.

*** Whoever told you that is misleading you. There is no such requirement. I currently work at a Magnet (wooptido) hospital and we hire ADN nurses all the time. We don't even have a BSN preferred hiring policy.

PMFB-RN, RN · Mar 11, 2008

Do you really think that a pay raise is the issue? We are treated by physicians, hospital administerators, LTC administrators as second class citizens, entitled to second rate pay, because they view our education as second rate.

*** I disagree. I think that treatment is the result of two things. The first being that nursing is dominated by women. Second nurses tolerate it.

And they may have a point, since we are one of the few 'professions' that have three levels of education, sitting for the same licensing exam.

*** Physician Assistants are another example. You can be a PA with an associates degree, BS or masters. I don't see PAs being treated like nurses are. What they can do is bill for services. We don't, we are part of the room charge. If the goal is higher wages for nurses then unions are the answer, not BSNs.

HealthyRN · Mar 12, 2008

I think it is unfortunate that we are not moving faster toward a BSN requirement. Until this happens, we will never be on the same playing field as other health care professionals.
*** No, so long as we are unable to bill directly for our services we will never be on the same playing field. We are part of the room charge and that isn't going to change if all nurses are required to have a BSN.
Many other areas of the world are already ahead of the US in this debate.
*** That may be your opinion. In my view they are not ahead of us, but rather on the wrong path.
I don't see why we couldn't do something similar in the US.
*** I don't see why we should.
We could keep ADN programs open, but all nurses would be required to get the BSN. How can someone argue that more education isn't good?
*** If more education is good then why not make DNP the entry level for RNs?

I am not advocating for degree inflation. Making DNP the entry-level degree for RNs would be absurd. Requiring a 4-year degree, is not the same as something beyond the master's. A bachelor's degree today is what a high school diploma used to be.

Sometimes it is unbelieveable to me that I chose to enter a profession in which so many members do not see the value of education. I'm truly confused why so many are against a four-year degree. Perhaps it has something to do with the "quickest, easiest" mentality I see reflected in so many threads that deal with education.