nursing shortage

[raceteam91]

It amazes me that the ANA is predicting a massive nursing shortage when the babyboomers retire yet hospitals are trying to push out the older experienced ADN by requiring a BSN. When the nursing shortage occurrs and it will, hospitals will be left with inexperienced BSN nurses who probably will go on for a Masters as they did not get into to this profession to do patient care for any length of time. It is disheartening to see nurses who have dedicated 30 years or more to a facility not be grandfathered for the BSN. Many nurses are nearing retirement and it is not cost effective to go back for a BSN. It is my understanding that the ANA is behind the BSN push and yet seeing that we are facing a severe shortage they seem to be shooting themselves in the foot.

[ergs222]

Dear raceteam91:

I'm finishing my BSN and am writing my capstone paper on nurse bullying. I must say, you have really hit a nerve with me, and perhaps not in the way you intended. I am doing my practicum at a facility with almost exclusively ADN prepared nurses. There is one other student- an ADN student. The ADN student is openly favored while I am criticized for my choice of degree, excluded from social events, and used as a scapegoat for mistakes made by my preceptor. Fortunately my education has prepared me to identify horizontal aggression (bullying) and I am taking steps to address it.

Yes, as you say I am inexperienced- I'm a new nurse! The new ADN nurse is inexperienced, too. That's what it means to be new.

I understand that you are scared and frustrated, but I want you to realize that when you criticize BSN nurses like this you are promoting horizontal aggression which EBP demonstrates leads to decreased patient outcomes. It would be equally inappropriate for a BSN nurse to bully an ADN nurse, however that is not the situation at hand.

I understand that you do not know me and your comments were not targeted directly at me, and that you are not "bullying" me directly, however you are contributing to a culture which pits BSN and ADN nurses against each other and sees bullying as acceptable. I realize that that was not your intention, however please take a moment to reflect on the impact of your statements. Thank you.