Earning respect: the entry-level nursing degree.

摘要

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), an overseer of nursing education and certification, recently issued a report on the need for higher levels of education for nurses. The report notes than many nurses are undereducated to meet the complexities and demands of the current and future health care system (AACN, 2010).The changes in nursing have been profound. Nurses are caring for sicker patients with higher patient-nurse ratios; hospital stays are shorter, increasing demand for home care nursing; and there is an emphasis on managing chronic illnesses in the community.With such changes, it is imperative that the entry level to nursing shift from a 2-year associate degree (ADN) to a 4-year bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). Although there are many technically skilled ADN nurses, they lack a well-rounded education in the areas of leadership, decision making, and community health nursing.