The World Of Complex Illnesses And Disease Processes

They determined that patients needing surgery have a "substantial survival advantage" (Aiken, Clark, Cheung, Sloan, & Silber, 2003) if treated in hospitals with higher ratios of nurses educated at the baccalaureate degree level. They too determined through this research that the more nurses holding BSN degrees help decrease the risk of patients dying and the ability to determine the patient is in distress. This research provides the evidence that nurses with a BSN degree have a better comprehension in their ability to formulate nursing diagnoses and evaluate nursing interventions. (Giger & Davidhizar, 1990) BSN degree nurses also demonstrate improved professional integration and research/evaluation skills. (The Future of Nursing:Leading Change, Advancing Health, 2012)

Healthcare systems and the way safe, quality health care is delivered are continually changing to better serve patients and communities. Professional nursing practice is a large component in the healthcare system today. Back in the 1960s, professional nursing leaders tried to adopt the bachelor degree programs as the only educational track to become a registered nurse (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). Due to nursing shortages and demands this motive did not hold fast. Individuals entering the nursing profession today must first decide which educational pathway to take to become a Registered Nurse (RN).

In today’s healthcare system, nursing is a challenging field as a result of rapid technological advances and changes in healthcare policies. As a dedicated nursing professional, with a great passion for learning, I strive to stay on top of these changes. I am determined to increase my knowledge to be an instrumental part of providing quality healthcare. The demands of nursing are high; however the rewards are even higher. Nursing requires both a supreme understanding of the science of health, and a caring bedside manner befitting only those who seek a position of such a personal involvement in the well-being of a patient. Academically, I will put forth all of

Transitioning from nursing school to working in a hospital setting can be a challenging time for a new graduate. Due to the nursing shortage, new graduate nurses are being hired with little to no experience. This is overwhelming for new nurses, especially when they are not getting adequate support or training from the hospital. The amount of stress, pressure, and lack of training is leading to a high turnover rate for new graduate nurses. With patient acuity on the rise, new graduate nurses that are filling these vacancies in the hospitals, need to be competent nurses to provide proper and safe care to the patients.

When people think about nurses, many ideas come to mind. They think of the hideous old starched, white uniforms, a doctor’s handmaiden, the sexy or naughty nurse, or a torturer. The media and society have manipulated the identity and role of nurses. None of these ideas truly portray nurses and what they do. Nurses are with the patients more than the doctors. People do not realize how little they will encounter the doctor in the hospital until they are actually in the hospital. People quickly realize how important nurses are. Because nurses interact with their patients constantly, nurses are the ones who know the patients best.

With an ever-increasing body of knowledge in the field of nursing, more education is being required to enter the field of nursing. Many healthcare institutions are raising the educational requirements in order to become employed or maintain employment in their facilities. Healthcare organizations are transitioning to hiring registered nurses (RN) who have a higher level of education, such as, a graduate from a Baccalaureate Degree Nursing (BSN) program. The goal of these institutions is to have nurses with a broader array of skills that can meet the growing demands of our patient population. BSN prepared nurses are recognized for their well-rounded skills in critical thinking, management, case management and health promotion versus Associate Degree nurses (ADN)/Diploma nurses that focus on direct patient care.

There are numerous studies depicting the correlation between the four-year degree nursing education and improved patient outcomes. In the August 2008 edition of Health Services Research, Dr. Christopher Friese and associates identified a link between patient outcomes and nursing education level. They determined that moving to a nursing practice environment with a higher proportion of baccalaureate prepared nurses led to a significant decrease in the mortality of hospitalized cancer patients who underwent surgery. In addition to lowered mortality rates, patients also experienced lower failure to rescue rates. In a separate study published by the Journal of Advanced Nursing, researchers at the University of Toronto resolved that facilities with a greater number of BSN prepared nurses had lower 30-day mortality rates. For every 1,000 patients discharged, a 10% increase in the number of baccalaureate degree nurses resulted in 9 fewer deaths (Rosster,

In an article published in Health Services Research in August 2008 that examined the effect of nursing practice environments on outcomes of hospitalized cancer patients undergoing surgery, Dr. Christopher Friese and colleagues found that nursing education level was significantly associated with patient outcomes. Nurses prepared at the baccalaureate-level were linked with lower mortality and failure-to-rescue rates. The authors conclude that “moving to a nurse workforce in which a higher proportion of staff nurses have at least a baccalaureate-level education would result in substantially fewer adverse outcomes for patients.”

Nursing is about providing the best possible holistic care for the patient and family. At the same time there’s an imbalance of patient care regarding education and knowledge being provided by nurses. As a nurse I believe we all owe it to ourselves, the profession, and the patient to provide the best possible care. According to American Nurses Association (ANA) online article “Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.” In order to better achieve the nursing ideals of the American Nurses Association we must improve patient care by requiring hospital nurses to become BSN nurses.

To answer the question posed: Is the nursing education level a contributing issue in the deliverance of quality care and patient safety? "The American Association of Colleges of Nursing believes that baccalaureate prepared nurses like other health care providers, practice at a higher level. Nurses processing a Bachelor's Degree are molded to adapt to the changing health care environment and its demands. This can be accomplished by leadership development, as well as critical thinking emphasizing health promotion and disease prevention across all environments of care". (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2012, p. 1)

The report indicates, of the overall nurses employed in healthcare, 80% of the nurses will have a baccalaureate degree by the year 2020. The baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs prepare nurses thoroughly so that they will have significant knowledge,

There are constant changes to laws and legislation regarding patient care and safety. The purpose of this report is to inform the reader of recent and upcoming changes to legislation that may affect nursing care of patients. Research by L. Aiken, et al. and A. Tourangeau, support the need for higher education of registered nurses. Their research proves that patient outcomes are improved when registered nurses carry a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Research conducted by J. Needleman, et al., concluded that reducing the nurse-patient ratio resulted in the patient being at less risk for developing hospital-acquired illnesses as well as a reduced risk of

Recent research has shown that hospitals and health care organizations that employ a higher number of bachelors prepared nurses see better patient outcomes as a result of the nurse having a greater capacity to practice (Impact of Education, n.d.). Studies have shown that bachelors prepared nurses practice more confidently and as a result can react faster to patient situations resulting in better outcomes (Impact of Education, n.d.). Also a bachelor’s prepared nurse is trained more extensively in “clinical, scientific, decision making, and humanistic skills, including preparation in community health, patient education, and nursing management and leadership” (Baccalaureate Degree, 2001) The education that patients get in how to care for themselves after leaving the hospital leads to better outcomes once they are gone and less recurrence of

Many people believe mandatory residency programs for newly licensed nurses are long overdue. The knowledge needed to practice nursing has grown to include health policy, ethics, public health, research, healthcare delivery improvements, as well as leadership skills. Nurses are part of the multi-disciplinary team and must work together with healthcare providers who possess masters or doctoral degrees. Nursing school prepares nurses with the basic information they need to know in order to practice safe nursing. However, modern nurses are faced with ever increasing demands. New nurses must know how to collaborate with the healthcare team, manage their priorities, stay organized and recognize life-threatening situations. Many new grads are overwhelmed with the demands of nursing, which can lead to compromised patient care and safety. Formalized, supervised guidance will improve patient care and retain nurses. The study also recommended doubling the amount of nurses with a masters or doctoral degree by 2020 in order to provide an adequate supply of nurses who are able to assume nurse faculty, primary care providers, and researcher positions.

Changes in the Health Care System and the Practice of Nursing have become complex. Technological changes, complicated client needs, short hospital length of stay, and departure from acute care to community based care, all these changes have underscore the need for professional nurses to think critically in order to provide safe and effective client care. A better educated nursing workforce can provide good health education to patients and their families. The affordable care of 2010 has required the need for nurses to expand their role of practice to meet complicated patient demands. This has prompted the Institute Of Medicine to review the “Future of Nursing, Leading change and Advancing Health”. {Creasia & Fribery,2011}