New laws requiring LPNs and RNs to become BSN by 2016

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jun 27, 2013

There has been talk about "recommendations" in reference of having more BSN-prepared nurses in the market, however, I have not heard that ALL LPNs and ADN/DDN's meds to be BSN-prepared by 2016. It would be impossible.

Could it be hospital specific???

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 27, 2013

Know of no such state with that sort of requirement as law. New York and New Jersey have had bills mandating "BSN in Ten" for new RN grads (those in programs and or already licensed would be grandfathered) if they wish to keep their license, but after about two years those bills have gone no where.

In reality it does not matter what states are doing by statue, in many areas the employment market is making the decisions. Right now at least in the NYC area new grad ADNs are finding nil to near impossible to land hospital work. Experienced associate grads may have an easier time but they can and often are asked about their intentions to get the BSN and or as a condition of hire must have it within a certain time period.

Obamacare makes no demands on state licensure of nurses, LPN, ADN or BSN.

Vocationofalifetime · Jun 27, 2013

Thank you for your responses to my post. I appreciate this may not be related at all to 'Obamacare' and it may be a regionally or hospital preference that seems to be insinuating the type of education required for nurses. I'm not sure, but I'm going to keep investigating.

Leslie

xoemmylouox, ASN, RN · Jun 27, 2013

Never heard of it, it makes no sense, and would be impossible to implement so quickly.

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 27, 2013

Thank you for your responses to my post. I appreciate this may not be related at all to 'Obamacare' and it may be a regionally or hospital preference that seems to be insinuating the type of education required for nurses. I'm not sure, but I'm going to keep investigating.
Leslie

Should like to add hospitals in other parts of New York State are more than happy to hire ADN nurses both experienced and new grads. Indeed many of the latter are moving to various upstate areas such as Albany from NYC to work for a year or so. While gaining the sought after "one year of recent .... experience) NYC hospitals demand ADN many of these ADN grads are working on their RN to BSN.

This is why one does not think the "BSN in Ten" has made headway here. Things vary by location and what suits Mount Sinai or NYP in the City may not a small regional hospital in Rochester.

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 27, 2013

Thank you for your responses to my post. I appreciate this may not be related at all to 'Obamacare' and it may be a regionally or hospital preference that seems to be insinuating the type of education required for nurses. I'm not sure, but I'm going to keep investigating.
Leslie

What seems to be happening is more and more facilities are following the " having high number of "BSN prepared nurses equals better patient outcomes) theory which is the position put out by the ANA and promoted via it's magnet program.

AutumnDraidean · Jun 28, 2013

Hospital where I work is trying not to hire ADNs. It's pretty cruddy since the local CC NP was at one time the diploma program attached to hospital in question. Lucky for me I got in 15 years ago.

ixchel · Jun 28, 2013

"Obamacare" being a federal thing doesn't mandate nursing licensing (being a state thing) but I could be wrong. Regardless, 2016 would be impossible. Not enough schools to handle it, not enough money to pay for it, not enough time to finish it. Not that fast.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 28, 2013

I'm an LPN (since 1993), and have recently learned that LPNs and 3-year/or diploma RNs are required to become BSNs before 2016 in order to keep their jobs. The change is apparently due to the new medicare laws and 'Obamacare'. Does anyone know if this is true?

To be as straightforward as possible, this is not true. No such law exists.

However, individual facility policies exist. Due to these internal policies, the management at many hospitals across the US has been requiring currently employed LPNs and RNs with diplomas and ADNs to earn BSN degrees within a specified time frame.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 28, 2013

The BON of South Dakota (or was it North Dakota? It was a Dakota, that I recall) tried the "BSN only" route once. It didn't last.

allnurses Guide · Jun 28, 2013

It is absolutely not true. If you want to investigate, you can start by doing some research into your state legislature for any history of such a bill. "Medicare" does not have the legal authority to change the educational requirements one must have to be able to take the NCLEX. Hospitals and LTC/rehabs have stopped any changes in these laws from occurring since 1965 because they don't want their hands tied should there ever be another actual nursing shortage.

Because each state write's it's own scope of practice for nursing which is then implemented by their respective boards of nursing, a federal healthcare benefit bureaucracy would have no input other than perhaps to lobby for or against pending legislation, and I am sure most will agree they have their hands full functioning as the federal laws initially intended them to.

It's really disheartening that your Master's level supervisor would tell you something that is demonstrably false and makes no sense. She may have gotten her information from the 2010 Institute of Medicine Report, but even so the year of 2016 isn't mentioned anywhere in their goals.

Many people believe, or did believe that there would be a requirement for all NPs to get their DNP by 2015 also though and I'm not sure where that came from - perhaps from another set of "recommendations" from a report.