It used to be that nurses did not have to go to college; we were instead trained by hospitals. Then the education requirement changed and community college replaced hospitals. And now, it is changing to that some hospitals will only hire nurses with college degrees. Undoubtedly, the education requirement will continue to increase in the future.
The downside to this is that it will make this profession harder to get into. And those who are in the profession will constantly need to adapt by going back to school. The upside to this is that it will provide us with more skills to do a better job.
Or we could just do it the easy way and grandfather anyone with a current RN license in.
What one meant that assuming current RNs and those already in school are covered by some sort of grandfather clause, what happens to future grads who are under the rule of such a scheme.
My worry is that if a state mandates some sort of "BSN in Ten" or whatever type scheme that once passed into law could turn non-four year grads into persona non grata as it were. No place can force anyone to go back for their BSN, they know it and so does the nurse. Best anyone can do is ask the nurse to sign a contract and or otherwise agree. After the period is up what is to stop the now experienced RN from packing her or his bags and going elsewhere taking all that seasoning with them? Facilities worried about this may simply choose to stop the maddness before it starts and only hire BSN grads regardless of what the law says.
What one meant that assuming current RNs and those already in school are covered by some sort of grandfather clause, what happens to future grads who are under the rule of such a scheme.
My worry is that if a state mandates some sort of "BSN in Ten" or whatever type scheme that once passed into law could turn non-four year grads into persona non grata as it were. No place can force anyone to go back for their BSN, they know it and so does the nurse. Best anyone can do is ask the nurse to sign a contract and or otherwise agree. After the period is up what is to stop the now experienced RN from packing her or his bags and going elsewhere taking all that seasoning with them? Facilities worried about this may simply choose to stop the maddness before it starts and only hire BSN grads regardless of what the law says.
MSN-NP to DNP-NP
An example of how one could change the minimal standard of education with minimal problems. It is happening right now. My MSN cohort is the last class of MSN-NPs allowed through GCU, the rest will all be DNP-NPs.
I don't think the BSN manadate has anything to do with a genuine interest in advancing the nursing profession. I think it has to do with giving job security to those in academia, the nursing executives will feel they have less hard heads to crack and the BSN's will "see things the corporate way" and in agreeing with a thought that Brandon posted- all the "nursing tasks " cand be given to UAP- cost farr less money than LPN's and ADN's. I don't think any one of the PTB care a whoot about high quality patient care and doing the right thing, they are willing to settle for competent care level because it is cheaper and means more money for them.
If they cared about high quality patient care- this runawway trainwreck of a healthcare system we have would have reached a screetching halt a long time ago.
Being squeeszed out of money for tuition with the threat and reality of "no BSN= no job" I believe equals extortion. And like earlier pointed out- how many 50 yr old's are willing to put them self into further debt to accomodate these friviolious nursing ecxecutives and nursing academia whose personal financial situations in their own home is - money is no object. This is blatant- look at the clothes they wear to work, their purses, their cars- they are not shopping Wal-Mart people!!! I don't care what size they wear- it doesn't come from Wal-Mart.
I imagine that this would be the case, not dissimilar to what happened to the Diploma nurses.
Know many know this already but just want to point out that a very good number of diploma grads did not end their nursing days that way. Tons went on to get their BSN, MSN, PhD and so forth, you had only to look at who ran and staffed schools of nursing (college/university based and diploma programs), as well as DONs/nursing administration.
Nurses have been receiving BSN's since the 1970's. In Canada, around 1980, our professional nursing organizations began the discussion regarding the trend toward the Bachelor's Degree as the minimum entry to practise. By 2009, the BSN became the standard for all new graduates across Canada. Similarly, Australia and the UK also now hold the BSN as the standard for nurses. How would/ should this affect America, some may wonder? Nursing is global...and the US is just beginning to catch up. Does this mean that BSN educated nurses are somehow more enlightened? No. However, the standards have changed.
I went to school with a girl who was in our local university's first BScN class. They were being "groomed for managerial roles". Now, it's the entry point for RNs. The PN education is now the old diploma RN course.
The fences are getting higher and the line between the scope of practice is getting finer. My hospital has just posted ten LPN vacancies in Emerg. The health authority has realized that it's just not cost effective to have all RN units with the current scope of practice.
That's very true. Aside from RN's, the standards have been raised for all nurses. The LPN program and scope has essentially replaced the old RN diploma in Canada.
Busywork classes and citations and leadership nonsense do not make a better nurse.
Uh, JZ, what do you mean by "busy work classes and citations and leadership nonsense"? Do you have a BSN degree? If not, how do you know that these are part of the BSN curriculum??
I have a doctorate in nursing, and I can honestly say that I have never encountered any "busy work classes and citations and leadership nonsense" along the way.
Know many know this already but just want to point out that a very good number of diploma grads did not end their nursing days that way. Tons went on to get their BSN, MSN, PhD and so forth, you had only to look at who ran and staffed schools of nursing (college/university based and diploma programs), as well as DONs/nursing administration.
Many did, many more did not. In fact sitting two feet to my left is a Diploma nurse who I think roommated with Nightingale. When she is gone she will not be replaced.
Once one limits the schools, time will take care of itself.
Nurses have been receiving BSN's since the 1970's. In Canada, around 1980, our professional nursing organizations began the discussion regarding the trend toward the Bachelor's Degree as the minimum entry to practise. By 2009, the BSN became the standard for all new graduates across Canada. Similarly, Australia and the UK also now hold the BSN as the standard for nurses. How would/ should this affect America, some may wonder? Nursing is global...and the US is just beginning to catch up. Does this mean that BSN educated nurses are somehow more enlightened? No. However, the standards have changed.
BSNs have been around a lot longer than the 70's.
BSNs were around at least in the 1920's at Yale, there were other schools such as Columbia that were established in the 1890's that offered a nursing program that gave you a bachelor's degree along with a diploma in nursing (kind of like a dual degree or interdisciplinary degree).
DoGoodThenGo
4,133 Posts
What one meant that assuming current RNs and those already in school are covered by some sort of grandfather clause, what happens to future grads who are under the rule of such a scheme.
My worry is that if a state mandates some sort of "BSN in Ten" or whatever type scheme that once passed into law could turn non-four year grads into persona non grata as it were. No place can force anyone to go back for their BSN, they know it and so does the nurse. Best anyone can do is ask the nurse to sign a contract and or otherwise agree. After the period is up what is to stop the now experienced RN from packing her or his bags and going elsewhere taking all that seasoning with them? Facilities worried about this may simply choose to stop the maddness before it starts and only hire BSN grads regardless of what the law says.