Is it true that a BSN will be mandatory soon?

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An instructor of mine (I'm in another state) stated that she recently went to a national educators conference and that they were saying that within the next several years in NY it would be mandatory to have your BSN. Does anyone know anything about this? Thanks

I have decided to enter an ASN (Associate of Applied Science in Nursing) program for many reasons. First and foremost, I have children to consider and a family that needs me. Secondly is the cost. I am able to attend a community college; I am unable at this time to uproot my family and move to an area with a university that offers a BSN program AND pay for said program.

Once again, the nursing profession doesn't need to be a dumping ground for all those people who have kids and/or can't afford a college degree, etc. I WAS RAISING 3 CHILDREN when I went through a BSN program. I made substantial sacrifices to get a college degree and I expect the same of everyone else who is given the same job title as me.

I had to wait YEARS before going back to school to get my MSN and practice as a nurse practitioner, because I had financial obligations to meet. There wasn't some little fast track "back door" into the NP profession, you either get a MSN or you can't become certified as a NP...PERIOD!

Have you ever seen a school teacher with an associates degree? How about an engineer, physical/occupational therapist, etc? There isn't some alternative "fast track" associates program that's going to get them certified in their profession. Did you ever think that any of those professionals had financial obligations and child care issues? I can assure you, many of them DID!

There is really no need for that hostile attitude. Congratulations for working so hard (raising 3 children, no less!) to attain your goals. I am working hard to achieve mine.

You seem to have really misread what I have been saying. I'm not looking for some "fast track" to success. Theres not such thing. BUT, Associates Degree programs are all that is offered here. So that's what I will do until I am able to further my education. What is so wrong about that?

You are not the only one who has made "substantial sacrifices" for what you wanted. I have too, as have many others. I really resent your implication that I feel nursing is a "dumping ground" for single mothers. Talk about hostility. Who in their right mind thinks nursing school is easy? Even getting into nursing school is competitive and academically challenging.

Like I said, if everyone seems to want more BSN level nurses, there should be better access to BSN university programs.

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There is really no need for that hostile attitude. Congratulations for working so hard (raising 3 children, no less!) to attain your goals. I am working hard to achieve mine.

You seem to have really misread what I have been saying. I'm not looking for some "fast track" to success. Theres not such thing. BUT, Associates Degree programs are all that is offered here. So that's what I will do until I am able to further my education. What is so wrong about that?

You are not the only one who has made "substantial sacrifices" for what you wanted. I have too, as have many others. I really resent your implication that I feel nursing is a "dumping ground" for single mothers. Talk about hostility. Who in their right mind thinks nursing school is easy? Even getting into nursing school competitive and academically challenging.

Like I said, if everyone seems to want more BSN level nurses, there should be better access to BSN university programs.

Once again, just which profession (not vocation) requires less than a Bachelor's degree? Our profession most definitely has a "fast track" for entry, since it doesn't mandate a Bachelor's degree.

Also, I didn't say nursing was a dumping ground for single mothers. That was from someone elses post.

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Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

but you did say that you were tired of nursing being a dumping ground.

You don't know others....what they have sacrificed and given up to become an professional RN.

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but you did say that you were tired of nursing being a dumping ground. Unfortunately, it seemed to have been edited out by one of the moderators. And if you're not putting down others without a BSN degree, why are your posts being edited?

You don't know others....what they have sacrificed and given up to become an professional RN.

It's easy to tell "others" what they should be doing and how they should be doing it. Whatever happened to praising a person for acomplishments done? As a teenage mother i decided to go two year college because it was a "smart" decision for me at the time. It allowed me to work fulltime and go to school at the same time.

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Once again, just which profession (not vocation) requires less than a Bachelor's degree? Our profession most definitely has a "fast track" for entry, since it doesn't mandate a Bachelor's degree.

Also, I didn't say nursing was a dumping ground for single mothers. That was from someone elses post.

I beg to differ, you did make the statement that nursing was the "dumping ground" for single mothers

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but you did say that you were tired of nursing being a dumping ground. Unfortunately,

You don't know others....what they have sacrificed and given up to become an professional RN.

I did say it's a "dumping ground," because it is and it's certainly not specific to single mothers.

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No. That means that LPNs should increase their entry into practice to an Associates Degree, along with RNs increasing their entry into practice to a BSN. Spare me the sob stories about the single welfare mothers who need a "quick" education to get into the working world to bring them out of poverty, yada yada yada. Nursing does not need to be the "welfare" of health care professions. We are paid, and compensated as such. Along with our image that the public has of us.

Most of the public thinks that nursing is nothing more than "on the job training" and requires little if any college education. I don't care the public thinks that we are wonderful They think we are wonderful because we are stupid enough to work for as little as we do, have no power, and we are pushed around by everyone in the hospital, (as evidenced by the stories here about getting no support from supervisors in enforcing visiting hours). They think that we are just uneducated "doctor helpers".

That image will never change until we raise ourselves to the standards of other health care professionals. Nurses are a dime a dozen, and are used as interchangeable "widgets". We allow our professional practice to be sold to the highest bidder. We allow our professional practice to be "de professiononalized". "Anybody can be a nurse". Just put on scrubs and go to it.

Is that what you want nursings image to be? That is what is being sold to the public by the hospitals. If they had their way, they would de- professionalize the entire professional practice of an RN and hire high school dropouts to fill our jobs. We enable them to accomplish this by not pushing for higher educational levals for nursing. The publics sees little differance in the differant education levels that we have. Not much separates most nurses from blue collar jobs that can be had with a short educational path. One year for an LPN, two years for as Associates Degree and off you go to work? 6 months of OJT for a Medical Assistant?

We have no one to blame but ourselves for this entire mess. JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

Please read the posting above, this must be where you're getting the info on the "single" mothers. You know what? I agree with this poster 100% :yeah: I too, am sick of the nursing profession being the "welfare" of professions. I don't see any other profession lowering their educational standards to an Associate's degree, so it will be more convenient, affordable, attainable, etc., etc., etc.

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:up:

You sound like you've worked really hard to achieve your successes. Congratulations and good luck! :specs:

Thanks Natasha,

yeah my finishing nursing school was very special to me because i lost my mother right before my last semester. It was hard for me to go on.. but i think that i couldn't have done it without support from fellow nurses. I mostly try to ignore upsetting comments such as the ones made by anp, but knowing how hard it was to get my ADN and to have a person try to say that i should be made to do nursing assistant work just because i don't have my BSN, well that really offended me, as a person and as a nurse. I expect better from older nurses.

And good luck to you also

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My point is, that "requiring" all those entering the nursing field closes the door on many people. I notice that many (though not all) people advocating a BSN requirement are young and probably childless. They probably already don't have a huge student loan debt, either. A BSN is a great option for them. But it is not a great option for everyone, especially in terms of entry level into the field.

I think that if other fields can manage, with the same sorts of issues, than so can nursing.

We will need more BSN programs, if we mandate that the entry point into nursing is a BSN. But, I imagine what will happen is that universities - 4 year - will simply absorb the closest community college programs and have them as "satellite" locations. So, in essence, you'll be attending the community college campus, with the same community college professors, at least for the nursing portion of the program, but you'll be award the degree from the 4 year university. And, of course, you'll have to meet all the other degree requirements.

At least, that's what I would anticipate happening, to avoid losing all those nursing programs and nursing professors. Thus, BSN programs would be more widely available.

I think it would be much better if nurses could come to this decision on their own, rather than have some administrative type decide for us and have to *force* us into more education. How would that look to everyone - while all other health care professionals gladly increase their own educational standards, nurses have to be *forced* by administration to obtain a mere Bachelor's?

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I think that if other fields can manage, with the same sorts of issues, than so can nursing.

We will need more BSN programs, if we mandate that the entry point into nursing is a BSN. But, I imagine what will happen is that universities - 4 year - will simply absorb the closest community college programs and have them as "satellite" locations. So, in essence, you'll be attending the community college campus, with the same community college professors, at least for the nursing portion of the program, but you'll be award the degree from the 4 year university. And, of course, you'll have to meet all the other degree requirements.

At least, that's what I would anticipate happening, to avoid losing all those nursing programs and nursing professors. Thus, BSN programs would be more widely available.

I think it would be much better if nurses could come to this decision on their own, rather than have some administrative type decide for us and have to *force* us into more education. How would that look to everyone - while all other health care professionals gladly increase their own educational standards, nurses have to be *forced* by administration to obtain a mere Bachelor's?

I hear you Susan ; what do you think of Accelerated BSN programs?

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We will need more BSN programs, if we mandate that the entry point into nursing is a BSN. But, I imagine what will happen is that universities - 4 year - will simply absorb the closest community college programs and have them as "satellite" locations. So, in essence, you'll be attending the community college campus, with the same community college professors, at least for the nursing portion of the program, but you'll be award the degree from the 4 year university. And, of course, you'll have to meet all the other degree requirements.

Yes, this is a great idea! In fact, it's what's going on in Oregon right now with OCNE (Oregon Consortium of Nursing Education). Seven of the community colleges (mine included) have nursing programs that allow for co-enrollment in OHSU (Oregon Health and Sciences University). Than way, you can choose to receive a BSN and remain at your local college. I believe you have up to 2 years after receiving your ASN to finish upper division courses for a BSN. If I can afford OHSU's tuition (we have to pays theirs for the BSN, obviously, even though we remain on our home campus) I will consider that option after working for a year or so. Or I may consider another RN-BSN program.

That is why I'm grateful that nursing allows entry into the field with an Associates degree. It will allow me to work, hone my skills, and further my education in a way that works with my career development.

And I agree, if they mandate BSN entry, there needs to be a greater availability (locality-wise) of BSN programs.

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Yes, this is a great idea! In fact, it's what's going on in Oregon right now with OCNE (Oregon Consortium of Nursing Education). Seven of the community colleges (mine included) have nursing programs that allow for co-enrollment in OHSU (Oregon Health and Sciences University). Than way, you can choose to receive a BSN and remain at your local college. I believe you have up to 2 years after receiving your ASN to finish upper division courses for a BSN. If I can afford OHSU's tuition (we have to pays theirs for the BSN, obviously, even though we remain on our home campus) I will consider that option after working for a year or so. Or I may consider another RN-BSN program.

That is why I'm grateful that nursing allows entry into the field with an Associates degree. It will allow me to work, hone my skills, and further my education in a way that works with my career development.

And I agree, if they mandate BSN entry, there needs to be a greater availability (locality-wise) of BSN programs.

Natasha do they require you to sign a contract at one of the hospitals in order to do that?

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