Essay on The Process of Transformation Through Education

Nursing has dramatically evolved in recent history in response to the changes in society, the healthcare system as well as to the evolution of the profession itself. Changes include: an aging and more diverse population, changing reimbursement practices, new technology and scientific discoveries, new diseases related to social and environmental problems. Changes in nursing roles represent a shift in the view of nursing from simply an occupation or job to a profession with a commitment to the role (Blais & Hayes, 2011). Changes in the healthcare system affect society’s expectation of nursing care. Due to these high expectations, nurses are returning to school in order to satisfy these prospects and are more effective in their roles. Prospective nursing students and registered nurses that are returning to school are undergoing many of the challenges described in these two models of transition.

In 2008 the National League of Nursing (NLN) conducted a survey of students enrolled in nursing schools across the United States. Fifty three percent of students were enrolled in ADN programs, forty three percent were in BSN, while the remaining four percent were in a Diploma of Nursing program (National League of Nursing Data Review 2010). The rate of completion of the ADN nurse has exceeded that of the BSN, creating a deficit in higher educated

The national shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) has helped generate formidable interest in the nursing profession among people entering the workforce and those pursuing a career change. According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service in 2002, the national population is continuing to grow and age and medical services continue to advance, so the need for nurses will continue to increase. They report from 2000 to 2020 the predicted shortage of nurses is expected to grow to 29 percent, compared to a 6 percent shortage in 2000. With the projected supply, demand, and shortage of registered nurses and nursing salaries ever-increasing, the nursing profession can offer countless opportunities. But first one must

The United States healthcare industry faces many challenges everyday, such as the rising cost of care, medical errors, access and quality problems etc. Within the next few years, the United States will experience a shortage of Register Nurses (RNs). “Registered Nurses are considered one of the largest health professions in the health care industry. The Nurses duty is to provide direct patient care and can be done in a hospital, public health facility, nursing home and many other different settings. Other services included are patient education on disease prevention, administering treatments and promoting a healthy lifestyle.” ("The Future of the Nursing Workforce: National- and State- Level Projections 2012-2025”) The shortage will occur due to Baby Boomers aging and the demand for health care will dramatically rise. With the baby boomers aging, Registered Nurses are at the top of the list for demand in health care. Unfortunately the supply and demand does not meet. “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections 2012-2022 released in December 2013, RNs will increase of about 526,800 within that time frame but will still have job openings of 1.05 million by 2020)”("Nursing Shortage") Indicating that there is no growth between 2012- 2022. There are multiple factors to this shortage and one of them is that nursing schools across the nation are struggling to increase the capacity of students to meet the rising demand. Considering the fact

For years now it has been well know and documented that there is a brutal disconnect between what school prepares NGRN for and the reality they find once they begin working.(Duchscher, 2009) This stark difference found between school and reality sets new graduates (NG) up for a hard fall and the disillusionment they are under when entering the professional practice can lead them to exit nursing altogether.(Duchscher, 2009) The problem then of course becomes recruitment and retention, and the cost of training new nurses back in 2007 was recorded to be as much as 82,000 to 88,000 each.(Ulrich et al., 2010)

The third challenge our healthcare system faces is the shortage of nurses. Part of this shortage is due to the lack of infrastructure. In the academic year of 2010-2011, 67,563 qualified students were not admitted into nursing schools due to the lack of faculty, training facilities and other budget constraints. This is a clear indication that unless there is improvement in the infrastructure, such as state and national funding, that there could possibly be a collapse in the nursing educational system (Dunham, 2009).

Nursing is an amazing profession to pursue. It can be stressful but has so many rewarding moments. I’ve been passionate about nursing since middle school and it’s not something I take lightly. A higher education is extremely important to me, especially since I am a first-generation college student.

A third contributing factor to the crisis our nation faces are the nursing education systems. The nursing education systems include the nursing students, nursing educators, and nursing schools. When it comes to the nursing students the enrollment rates are far below the necessary amount needed to help the current nursing crisis. The current enrollment number is at 300,000 students, but in order to help the shortage this number needs to increase to 400,000 students (Stanton, 2016). Sadly even though an increase is needed the AACN found that enrollment rates dropped 4.6% at the turn of the century and they have yet to see any increase since then (Benjamin, 2000, p. 2).

In order to provide lasting solutions to the nursing shortage, we should determine whether actively recruiting mature new nurses is appropriate. Bedside nursing is an intellectually and physically demanding profession. The burnout rates and first year attrition are disturbingly high. A three year study of over three thousand American NGNs found that 37 percent intend to leave their jobs after one year (Kovner et al., 2007). Another review found that while there are many market variables, the average American NGN costs hospitals over $82,000. Thirty percent of these leave in the first year and 57 percent in the second (Twibell et al., 2012). Given the high barriers to entry, the statistics are surprising. Before we continue to invest in recruiting mature nursing students, we should determine if they are likely to persevere in practice.

The shortage of nurses has gradually increased throughout the years. This shortage has taken a toll on patients, prospective nursing students, and faculty members. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, “In 2012, United States nursing schools turned away 79,659 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs” (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2014, para. 5). Unfortunately, even though there is a high number of students wanting to enter the nursing field there are not enough instructors to educate and train the students properly due to the low pay incentive for nursing professors. According to Brown (2015), “Clinical settings offer higher salaries than

Nursing is an esteemed profession that has developed over many years. This paper will explore the factors that influenced the development of the nursing profession, the roles and responsibilities of nurses, the many different career opportunities available to nurses as well as the origins of my passion to pursue nursing.

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, issued a call for academic progression with two specific goals for 2020: “The report’s authors reasoned that although associate degree nursing education is less costly and provides important upward mobility for diverse populations, higher degrees in nursing yield significant benefits for patients, employers, and communities” (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2013).

There is an increasingly high demand for students going into nursing careers in our society, but there are also varying educational pathways for these students to get into these careers. Are the three educational pathways (Diploma, Associate Degree, and Baccalaureate Degree) preparing prospective nurses to be at the same competency level after schooling? Advancement in education has become an increasingly important topic amongst health care organizations. Educational preparation can indeed affect nursing care and the decision making of nurses. In this paper, an analysis of nursing history and the degree programs themselves will provide evidence of an increased level of patient care by BSN nurses vs. ADN nurses.

“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.).

As the shortage of nursing staff increases, the number of nursing students would also need to increase (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008). Taking that into consideration, I completely agree with your information and with the article. Your perspective on the topic is well-structured to the belief that we need more nursing students, or possibly, letting ADN nurses work in hospital settings without a BSN restriction. As future BSN nurses, what can we do to support the upcoming nursing changes? Those changes can easily alter the demand for a higher level of education for future nurses and for nurses who have been in this work force for a long time. Additionally, earning a higher level of education can bring outstanding benefits