Reforming nursing education...

[SteffersRN87]

After reading several threads regarding the entry-level MSN programs and which level of nursing education should become the standard, I want to share a classroom discussion I had a while back...

What if a MSN became the solid standard for entry into nursing practice? What if we all practiced in the role of a nurse practitioner? Now, I know that this will surely NEVER happen! But, a six year program leading towards a MSN degree with the outcome of a nurse practitioner may not be such a bad idea. Think about it... We could manager our own patients' care instead of the way a physician thinks it should. We could prescribe pain medication when a patient needs it.

Anyways, as I said it will probably never happen, but it was a very interesting discussion.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT???

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Actually the ANA has been rather sucessful in pushing the BSN as mandatory for entry, just not in the way they had hoped.

Give you a hint: just who do you think is behind the "Magnet Status" award?

Having fought and mostly lost the battle to mandate the BSN via state boards of nursing, there are other ways to skin a cat (pardon the expression).

*** I work for a Magnet hospital and as far as I can tell they don't give a darn about who has what degree. There is no "BSN preferred" on our job postings. Our SICU just hired a new nurse manager who is a diploma RN. He doesn't have a BSN or any other college degree. The hospitals in this state (Wisconsin) that do have "BSN preferred" on their job listing are not Magnet. For example the UW Hospital does say "BSN prefered" on their job postings and they are not Magnet. Our hospital is about to re-certify for Magnet. When I was hired there a few years ago what degree I had was never an issue of any sort.

In my opinion Magnet if a fad that will go away, the tremendous cost having something to do with it but the real reason is that as RNs we can't tell if the hospital you work at is Magnet or not except by looking at their adds in nursing magazines.

[RoxyDi]

Wow - so it now takes a masters degree to provide safe, appropriate NURSING care? Let me throw this into the discussion - what if all nurses were mandated to speak Spanish? Surely that would assure a certain benefit for some patients, but is it really necessary, or does it just look nice on paper? Just an idea of an arbitrary rule that in theory sounds good, but in reality makes NO sense...