Education of nurses

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

Published

Now I know this may upset some but...

I think that all nurses should be BSN prepared at minimum, and all LPN, ASN, and diploma programs should be eradicated.

My reasoning for this? How many other fields can say they are "professionals" with less than an associate degree? Education is never a bad thing and the more education one has, the better. I believe nurses would be seen as more professional, and there would be less people trying to get into the field as a "fast and easy way to make decent money" as many nursing programs advertise. Perhaps then, nurses would see better wages and easier opportunites to find employment.

I would love to hear what others think on this topic. I turly hope this goes into effect in the near future!

Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

Lindarn: You're back! And thanks for your thoughtful post. Nurses are only limited by their limited educations. I've always thought it absurd that your kid's piano teacher has a bachelor's degree but the kid's nurse doesn't. NP's have been very successful in deploying the "professional" activities required to obtain their expanded privileges. There's no reason why nurses in hospital settings can't modify their roles either. But first, we have to require an adequate education of our practitioners. Why should be stand still for having to get written orders for a Tylenol? Why are we even content to defend the status quo? We're the ONLY health practitioner arguing for LESS education. Because it's too hard or too long or too expensive is just not an argument that any other "professional" is making.

I do not recall hearing PTs, OTs, Pharmacists, whining about the fact that they had to so to school longer. I had an OT, tell me that she was glad that the education was increase, because less people want to be OTs, now. She stated, " less of us, means we are more in demand, and higher pay".

While the PTB, have decided that the best way to disempower the nursing profession is to over produce nurses, we have all just stood by and let it happen.

JMHO and my NY $0.02

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.
i suspect that hospitals that are requiring nurses to go back to complete their bsns are really targeting older staff, who probably graduated from diploma/adn programs. it's a great way to weed out staff who are making higher wages as well as getting rid of older staff who may not move as fast as a 22y old. i doubt it has all that much to do with wanting to have a more educated staff. many facilities don't even pay more for a bsn. it does look good if the hospital is going for magnet to have a mostly bsn staff.

that woul resemble me:yes:

Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

back in the day, my diploma program cost $30.00/month, you could live in the dorm, and eat three meals, now books were extra, yes we had books in 1970 :yes:.........my first job was in CCU teaching hospital in Memphis, then i was coordinator of nurse clinicians at a NC VAH ER, assist HN at Geo Wash Univ CCU, then to Tex.Heart ccu and cvicu, director of nursing in several LTC, and this has been going on for 41 years, if I had just if had that BSN......no telling.. seriously I do think nursing might be better with single entry. I honestly do not know which entry. I continue to be puzzled why with a BS in biology I can get post graduate degrees in chemistry, physics, education, psycology, even medicine, but lordy not nursing.........

What about if you already have a Bachelor degree, but not a "BSN" and you have an ADN? Will they count? Or do you have to spend 2 years taking useless liberal arts courses AGAIN? Seems a waste of time and money if you ask me, since the person has already proved their intelligence by obtaining that degree level. If one already took all those general ed studies and received a degree for it, why do it again just because it doesn't say OF NURSING on it? I'd personally rather go get my Masters degree in something than a 2nd Bachelors.

What about if you already have a Bachelor degree, but not a "BSN" and you have an ADN? Will they count? Or do you have to spend 2 years taking useless liberal arts courses AGAIN? Seems a waste of time and money if you ask me, since the person has already proved their intelligence by obtaining that degree level. If one already took all those general ed studies and received a degree for it, why do it again just because it doesn't say OF NURSING on it? I'd personally rather go get my Masters degree in something than a 2nd Bachelors.

I know at my facility a BS will count but not a BA.

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