Bsn Accomplishments

I am a recent baccalaureate graduate of Charleston Southern University. I received my Bachelor of Science in Nursing in May of 2015. On June 20, 2015, I received my NCLEX-RN results and became a registered nurse in the state of South Carolina. After considering my options for a graduate program, I happily accepted my offer from Case Western Reserve University and moved to Cleveland to pursue my graduate studies. Over the course of my undergraduate career, theories were included in the curriculum but not in depth. It is for this reason that I am excited to partake in this course – to learn the foundational and applicable theories of the nursing profession.

On August 2015, I started the RN-BSN program with the Transition to Professional Nursing as my first course. I took one class at the time because I was working as a full time nurse at the same time. I did not take a break and started a new class each start date because I wanted to complete this program as soon as possible. The journey has been a long, hard road and the stress was constant and many times I felt that I could not complete it; it has been a difficult but very satisfying journey.

This “incorporates the roles of assessing, critical thinking, communicating, providing care, teaching and leading” (Grand Canyon University, para. 7). I also believe that an individual’s maturity over a four-year period has time to evolve with the concepts of critical thinking and decision making the BSN framework offers. The difference in cost and time from ADN to BSN programs is a deciding factor in many educational decisions. The economy and decrease in job opportunities has driven many into the nursing profession that may not have initially considered it a career option. Sadly, I believe that has contributed to the lack of interest in pursing an advanced education. The professional choice wasn’t driven out of a motivation to help humanity or a sense of altruism; it was merely an employment opportunity.

Bachelor degree nursing programs are highly regarded for the skilled, clinical thinking, and professionalism of nurses they provide for the community. Obtaining a baccalaureate in nursing provides the same skills and knowledge encompassed in most associate’s programs, while allowing a broadened look into research, public health, management, and humanities (AACN IENP, 2012). Many facilities are now providing incentives for nursing staff to continue their education; from tuition reimbursement, an increase in pay, and played time off for the sole purpose of education. Research has proven that with a more educated

Research further shows that those registered nurses that have obtained their degrees at the associate degree and diploma levels have an increase in their level of skills when completing a BSN degree. When comparing RN to BSN graduates from the years 1995 to 1998 it was (Rosseter, 2010, para. 24) shown that these students had a higher competency in nursing process, articulation, management, professional integration and analysis/dissemination (Phillips, C.Y., Palmer, C.V., Zimmerman, B.J. & Mayfield, M. 2002).

There are more and more evidence showing that the BSN nurses bring exceptional expertise to their work and play important roles in providing high quality patient care. Enhancing the nursing educational preparation from an associate degree to baccalaureate degree through one of hundreds RN to BSN programs is a brilliant choice.

If nursing had only one basic entry type into the profession, it would make the process much simpler for students, professors, and potential hiring entities. That said, however, the nurses who are already practicing proficiently at their current levels should be grandfathered into the change. A significant number of nurses, this author included, have worked for twenty-plus years in a variety of specialties and areas. Each one brings to the table unique experiences. Unfortunately, most hospitals that currently employ registered nurses are now requiring those nurses to get the BSN degree, despite many years of skilled and dedicated service.

Finally the Baccalaureate Curriculum Model shows a competency difference in the level of nursing education. Patient safety and quality of care are improved with the level of nursing education. “Because nurses make decisions that affect clients’ lives, nurses need intellectual capability to master scientific concepts, understand the impact of self on others, use this information in clinical practice and understand potential consequences” (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2007). In other words the baccalaureate level nurses have a broader body of knowledge than the associate degree nurse. While the ADN nurse goes to school to focus on just skills the BSN nurse goes to school and focuses on many different competencies. “The

The implications for BSN-prepared nurses in addition to those of RNs with an associate degree

As they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch. This ideal holds true for anyone interested in attaining career success or achieving a major goal. One of such career goals is evident in becoming a Registered Nurse. There are about 154,000 Registered Nurses in the state of Ohio (KFF, 2016) Nurses represent the highest proportion of all working professionals in the United States (KFF, 2016). There are about 3 million Registered Nurses in this country and the number continues to increase as baby-boomers retire, while hospitals, clinics, health centers continue to seek nurses that will provide various forms of specialized care (KFF, 2016). Due to this phenomenon, nursing education is made very arduous for anyone interested in pursuing this field of study (AACN, 2016). The American Association of Colleges of Nurses in Ohio attributes the arduous nature of the field of study to the increasing demand as well as transformation of the healthcare services (AACN, 2016). The signing of the new Healthcare law has led to transformative changes in many ways, by influencing ways in which healthcare is provided such as preventative care and also increasing the number of insured, which increases overall services rendered (AACN, 2016).

The nursing profession continues to argue whether a nurse who holds a BSN is desirable to the Associates-Degree-prepared nurse. This has been a topic of debate since 1965, when the American Nurses Association published an opinion paper advocating for the baccalaureate degree to be the minimal standard for entry-level nurses. While some say that the level of education isn’t relevant once you orient a nurse to a certain setting, others disagree and assert that the baccalaureate degree prepared nurses demonstrate higher levels of skill in communication, delegation, assessment, teaching and supervision. Most agree, however, that each degree program provides a different level of preparation and

Some studies show that “The effect of 10% more Bachelors of Science in Nursing Degree nurses decreases the odds on both outcomes in all hospitals, regardless of their work environment by roughly 4%” (Aiken, Cimiotti, Sloane, Smith, Flynn, & Neff, 2011). In addition, a survey conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2011) showed that 30.1 % of employers require the BSN for new hires and 76.6% strongly prefer BSN prepared nurses. CONCERNS ABOUT RETURNING TO SCHOOL

Multiple researchers have shown that Baccalaureate-trained nurses significantly resulted to improved nursing care compared to the Associate degree level of nurses as BSNs are trained to meet the ever-changing needs of the high demanding health care system. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the national body for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs, “education has a very important impact on the knowledge and competencies of the nursing clinician”. The Bachelor’s degree empowers its graduates to respond to the continuously growing patient needs in the society. Associate degree nurses are more concerned with the technical aspects of the nursing profession, and tends to focus more on skills proficiency,

As I pursued my associate degree, I was taught the fundamental basics of nursing, including developing care plans and performing everyday nursing skills to take care of patients. The main differences I have noticed while completing my bachelor degree is the importance of research, leadership, and public health. A baccalaureate degree nurse is better educated when it comes to stressful situations, and able to make quick, spur of the moment decisions to help keep patients safe. I felt that each course in the RN-BSN program helped me to understand the importance of research for that particular course. I believe I will take what I learned while researching for specific topics with me, as I provide patient centered care as a baccalaureate prepared nurse.

“Throughout the last decade, policymakers and practice leaders have recognized that education makes a difference” (Impact of Education, n.d.). Hospitals are also trending towards preferred hiring of bachelors prepared nurses for their workforce. Even national organizations are jumping on the bandwagon requiring “all nurse managers and nurse leaders to hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing by 2013” (Impact of Education, n.d.), likewise the Institute of Medicine has also recommended that all hospitals have at least 80% of their nursing staff with a BSN or higher by the year 2020 (Impact of Education, n.d.).