A report released in 2010 by the Institute of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recommended that 80% of all registered nurses hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) by 2020. This new shift in the United States comes from various studies which have shown a positive outcome for patients, healthcare organizations and the nursing community.
Better Care: Nurses with a BSN provide higher quality healthcare. In the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Dr. Linda Aiken and her colleagues identified a correlation between higher levels of nursing education and better patient outcomes. In addition, hospitals that hire more nurses with BSN degrees have a decreased risk of patient death and repeat visits because BSN graduates offered better care.
More Options, Happier Employee: A higher level of education may be essential in stabilizing the workforce. According to a study led by Dr. Betty Rambur published in Nursing Outlook, nurses with a BSN generally had a higher level of job satisfaction and a wealth of possibilities for career advancement in supervising roles within pediatrics, gynecology, oncology, hospice, and more.
Replacing Highly Experienced Workers: Hospitals also face a looming problem: retirements. More than half a million experienced nurses will retire, according to the American Nurse Association. Administrators face a dilemma: hire non-BSN nurses but risk lower patient care and gaps in leadership or choose to hire from the small pool of BSN nurses and fight to recruit them away from other, viable job openings.
Now is the time to return to school and secure a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The RN-to-BSN program at Broward College is an affordable, quality education that has been a reliable resource for providers like Memorial Healthcare System and the North Broward Hospital District hospitals. In the classroom, in the lab, in the field and in the community, our RN-BSN program is all-encompassing.
