Toncie

When I read the comment by dnsonthego about management at her facility questioning "why nurses are going for all these degrees...", the first thing I thought was I am glad I do not work at that facility. We are living in the age of information in the 21st Century and even though earning a higher degree will not get you far from the bedside, I fervently believe that knowledge is never wasted. The attending physician who made the comment that he sees the degree mania as silly and wasteful is one of those who would like to keep nurses in the 17th Century. True, some very factual observations were made. I am frequently embarrassed when nurses with advanced degrees display such poor writing and grammar skills and English is their first language unlike the reference mentioned. I am also amazed at the online schools churning out degrees without actually educating the participants. Many of them nowadays do not even require the GRE to have a basic measure of the graduates being enrolled. So long as you can pay, they will continue to thrive. It is difficult for nurses to advance to higher levels of management because there are so many of us. Nepotism and who you know play crucial roles in the pecking order of things. But does that mean that you should stifle your potential? Who knows what tomorrow holds? I embrace education and I love to learn. Thus far I have earned two undergraduate degrees, a masters degree and I am contemplating doing a doctorate but not in nursing. It is something I have always desired and I am doing it for me. Don't hate on the ones who make a sacrifice to earn an advanced degree. The proliferation of degrees may be attributed to peer pressure or some may see it as a stepping stone to a promotion. It is better to have it in hand than to be denied because you did not have it. As the health care environment changes, more will be demanded of the bedside nurses. It is no longer just about the poop... Forward to the future! Diploma and two-year degree nurses are fast becoming relics. Hop on board before you wake up and the last train has left the station!