Find Your Perfect Program:
In the Future, Nurses May Need to Earn Bachelor's Degrees
By Catherine Groux
Posted December 30, 2011 01:07 PM
Today, people who want to become registered nurses (RNs) can do so by earning an Associate's degree in Nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). However, this may change in the future, as various nursing advocacy groups feel that all RNs should earn a bachelor's degree.
Last January, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies stated that as the American population ages and more individuals need medical care, RNs should have more advanced knowledge. In order to develop these skills, the report states that more nurses should pursue bachelor's degrees.
"A
Nurses in New York may need to earn bachelor's degrees under a new bill. more educated nursing workforce would be better equipped to meet the demands of an evolving healthcare system, and this need could be met by increasing the percentage of nurses with a BSN," the report reads.
Many students are heeding this suggestion and deciding to enroll in BSN programs over associate's degree courses of study. A December report by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) shows that between 2010 and 2011, the number of students enrolled in BSN programs increased by almost 4%. Additionally, the number of people participating in baccalaureate degree completion programs, which are known as RN-to-BSN programs, rose by about 13% between 2010 and 2011.
Like the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, the AACN has encouraged more students to advance their nursing education. For this reason, AACN President Kathleen Potempa said she was pleased to see that more students are opting to do so.
"With the Institute of Medicine and other leading authorities calling for significant increases in the number of nurses with baccalaureate and graduate degrees, moving to prepare a more highly educated nursing workforce has become a national priority," she said.
Although more students are already choosing to enroll in BSN programs, New York is currently working to make this degree attainment mandatory for RNs in the state, The Associated Press reports. Under a new bill called "BSN in 10," RNs would have to earn a bachelor's degree within 10 years of practicing in the state. Lawmakers said this plan is part of the national initiative to ensure that nurses are prepared to handle the growing elderly population that will require care in the upcoming years.
