Discussion: Baccalaureate Nurse

Discussion: Baccalaureate Nurse

Discussion: Baccalaureate Nurse

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Week 8: Reflection on AACN BSN Essential II 2727 unread replies.2929 replies. Quality is an overriding principle in the AACN BSN Essentials document. Essential II specifically describes the role of the baccalaureate nurse in quality improvement. As you complete this course, reflect on howyou will implement lessons learned about quality improvement into your futurenursing practice. Provide details about what you plan to do to improve quality in your current or ideal future professional nursing position. Think big!

here are three educational pathways one may follow to become a registered nurse. The first is a three-year diploma program; another is an associate degree, most often offered by a community college; the last is a four-year baccalaureate degree offered at four-year colleges and universities. Methodist College of Nursing (MCON) is an example of a baccalaureate degree program. The baccalaureate degree earned is the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Presently, the greatest number of nurses graduate from associate-degree programs (59%), followed by baccalaureate programs (37%), and then diploma programs (4%). Graduates of all three programs sit for the same NCLEX-RN licensing examination.

These various entry levels into nursing practice have been the topic of discussion within the nursing profession for many years. In 1965, after a three-year study, the American Nurses Association (ANA) issued “A Position Paper on Education Preparation for Nurse Practitioners and Assistants to Nurses.” The paper stated, in part, that “the education of all those who are licensed to practice nursing should take place in institutions of higher education” and “minimum preparation for beginning professional nursing practice at the present time should be baccalaureate degree education in nursing.” While many groups within and related to nursing support this position, the three educational pathways to registered nursing still exist.

Education Makes a Difference

Over the past several years, policymakers, researchers and practice leaders have identified that education does make a difference in how nurses practice. The baccalaureate nursing program includes all of the content in the diploma and associate-degree programs, plus it provides students with a more in-depth study of the physical and social sciences, nursing research, nursing leadership and management, community and public health nursing, and the humanities. This broader and more in-depth education enhances the student’s professional development and allows the baccalaureate graduate to better understand the many social, cultural, economic and political issues that impact patients and influence healthcare.

Several studies have demonstrated an inverse relationship between the proportion of BSN nurses and mortality of the hospitalized patient. In other words, they found that as the proportion of baccalaureate-degree registered nurses increased in hospitals, patient deaths decreased. These studies demonstrate that lower levels of patient mortality are associated with the nurses’ education levels.

Nursing education is also associated with patient safety and quality of care. In Claire Fagin’s “When Care Becomes a Burden: Diminishing Access to Adequate Nursing,” it was recommended that, in response to the greater acuity of hospital patients, the numbers of nursing schools in community colleges and hospitals be decreased while the capacity in baccalaureate degree and graduate programs be increased.

Many groups such as the federal government, the military, nurse executives, healthcare foundations, nursing organizations and various practice settings advocate for an increase in number of BSN nurses in all clinical settings. The U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force require the baccalaureate degree for active duty as a registered nurse, and the U.S. Public Health Service requires the baccalaureate degree in nursing for a nurse to be a commissioned officer. A nationwide Harris poll conducted in 1999 found that 76 percent of the public believe nurses should have four or more years of post-high-school education to practice. Many countries, like Canada, Sweden, Portugal, Brazil, Iceland, Korea, Greece and the Philippines already require a four-year undergraduate degree to practice nursing.

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