RN to BSN is the Key According to The American Association of Colleges of Nursing

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) recently released a press release about one month ago that addressed the nationwide nursing shortage crisis and possible solutions to curb this national burden on our healthcare infrastructure. I thought the following highlights taken from preliminary survey data was very telling and quite informative:

"To stabilize the nursing workforce, the federal government and other stakeholders must focus on increasing nursing school enrollments at the baccalaureate level," said Dr. Lancaster. "Besides adding to the RN workforce, graduates of baccalaureate nursing programs are much more likely to pursue graduate education and achieve the credentials needed to serve as nurse educators."

Given the demands of today's health care system, the greatest need in the nursing workforce is for nurses prepared at the baccalaureate and higher degree levels. With the government calling for baccalaureate preparation for at least two thirds of the nursing workforce, the evidence clearly shows that higher levels of nursing education are linked with lower patient mortality rates, fewer errors, and greater job satisfaction among RNs. Last year, the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), the national voice for nurse leaders in the practice arena, began calling for baccalaureate preparation for all RNs in the future. The growing complexity of patient care and the increase in patient acuity requires that nurses have the best entry-level preparation available.

The robust interest in professional nursing careers can be attributed in part to successful outreach efforts guided by the nation's nursing schools. Strategies employed to increase student capacity this year included forming alliances with hospitals and other practice sites to address faculty and clinical space constraints. Some schools have expanded or opened new accelerated nursing programs for second-degree seekers looking to transition into nursing while others have taken advantage of state and federal funding aimed at strengthening the nursing workforce. In addition to these school-based initiatives, both Johnson & Johnson and the Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow coalition continued their national media campaigns to encourage careers in nursing.

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