The Minimum Level Of Nursing - 1739 Words

â€Å"BSN in Ten.† Nafisah Abdul Salam Lehman College Policy and Politics 408 Professor Theresa Lundy March 26, 2015 The minimum level of nursing education required for nursing jobs has been a topic of discussion for a several decade now. The Council of State Board of Nursing reported in their most recent statistics that Associate Registered Nurses accounted for 58.4% of the workforce while only 38.4% have a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing in the United States. The issue is that recommendations have been made to shut down the existing pipeline of Associate Nurses (AN) to that of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The goal of this change is to transition the average 50% of the nurses who have an associate degree to 80% BSN by the next†¦show more content†¦The different access points is a strength of the nursing profession because for those who are passionate about the nursing but can not afford to attend a four-year college due to circumstance beyond their control. Beside the baccalaureate, the other route takes between 12 to 24 months to complete. But the issue is the current need for a more educated nursing force. How will the nursing community improve patient care and increase the level of education of its workforce while still accepting multiple educational access point? Nursing is an amazing career because it has so many opportunities to change, grow and progress. There is always something new to learn every day especially with the advancement in technology, a new technique, must learned on a regular basis. Nursing has come a long way from the days when nurses were assistants to doctors. Nurses are considered as health care professionals who are bright, capable, and often have a clearer view of the overall situation than doctors do. The above point brings us to the political background of the issue. While education and certification are a necessary component of preparing nurses for practice, the State Licensing Boards are the final mediators of the requirement entry and certification. The American Nurses Association has decided to support initiatives that require RNs to obtain a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) within ten years of initial licensure (2014). Whether