BSN Nurses Create a Safer Patient Environment
BSN Nurses Create a Safer Patient Environment
In recent years a movement has been emerging in more and more hospitals and health care facilities to hire nurses with BSN degrees. In addition, many health care employers are requiring, or at least urging, their current staff to earn higher degrees. This movement gained momentum following a study released by the Institute of Medicine in October 2010 recommending “increasing the number of baccalaureate-prepared nurses in the workforce to 80% and doubling the population of nurses with doctorates” to meet the demands of the evolving health care system (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2014, para. 5). In addition, the AACN stated that positive patient outcomes are increased with the care of nurses educated at a BSN or graduate level. Employers say they want to ensure their staff is equipped to meet the increasing health care demands (Trossman, 2012, para. 1). This can cause some confusion amongst those who believe that an RN is and RN, but there are many routes to earning the title of registered nurse. Nursing students who have graduated from diploma, ADN, and BSN programs all sit for the same NCLEX-RN licensing exam, but are they all equally equipped to practice? (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2014). Does staffing with high percentage of BSN educated nurses really lead to a safer patient environment?
While all RNs do sit for the same NCLEX-RN exam to obtain licensure, it is important to note that this exam only tests for minimal technical competency to practice. The test does not take into consideration the additional knowledge a BSN programs teaches (AACN, 2014, para. 4). The ADN was initially created in 1952 by Mildred Montag. Her intent was to create a fast track to earn a nursing degree to meet the nursing shortage at that time. Montag envisioned that ADN nurses would work under the supervision of BSN nurses (Creasia 26). Since that time however, diploma, ADN
In recent years a movement has been emerging in more and more hospitals and health care facilities to hire nurses with BSN degrees. In addition, many health care employers are requiring, or at least urging, their current staff to earn higher degrees. This movement gained momentum following a study released by the Institute of Medicine in October 2010 recommending “increasing the number of baccalaureate-prepared nurses in the workforce to 80% and doubling the population of nurses with doctorates” to meet the demands of the evolving health care system (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2014, para. 5). In addition, the AACN stated that positive patient outcomes are increased with the care of nurses educated at a BSN or graduate level. Employers say they want to ensure their staff is equipped to meet the increasing health care demands (Trossman, 2012, para. 1). This can cause some confusion amongst those who believe that an RN is and RN, but there are many routes to earning the title of registered nurse. Nursing students who have graduated from diploma, ADN, and BSN programs all sit for the same NCLEX-RN licensing exam, but are they all equally equipped to practice? (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2014). Does staffing with high percentage of BSN educated nurses really lead to a safer patient environment?
While all RNs do sit for the same NCLEX-RN exam to obtain licensure, it is important to note that this exam only tests for minimal technical competency to practice. The test does not take into consideration the additional knowledge a BSN programs teaches (AACN, 2014, para. 4). The ADN was initially created in 1952 by Mildred Montag. Her intent was to create a fast track to earn a nursing degree to meet the nursing shortage at that time. Montag envisioned that ADN nurses would work under the supervision of BSN nurses (Creasia 26). Since that time however, diploma, ADN