鈥淎ACN applauds the nation鈥檚 nursing schools for their efforts to expand student capacity as momentum for advancing the education level of the nursing workforce continues to accelerate,鈥� said AACN President Eileen T. Breslin, PhD, RN, FAAN. 鈥淎s the national voice for baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, AACN is committed to working with all stakeholders to better prepare registered nurses (RNs) to thrive in all practice settings. We strongly believe that encouraging all nurses to continue their education is in the best interest of patients and the communities we serve.鈥�
AACN, the Tri-Council for Nursing, and other authorities are united in their view that a more highly educated nursing workforce is critical to meeting the nation鈥檚 healthcare needs and delivering safe patient care. This shared understanding was clearly reflected in the Institute of Medicine鈥檚 (IOM) Future of Nursing report, which has garnered widespread support from healthcare leaders in academia and practice. The evidenced-based recommendations in the IOM report call for preparing at least 80% of the RN workforce at the baccalaureate level by 2020 as well as a doubling of the number of nurses with doctorates.
Data from AACN鈥檚 fall 2014 survey of baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs found enrollment growth across the board, including a 4.2% increase in students in entry-level baccalaureate programs (BSN) and a 10.4% increase in 鈥淩N-to-BSN鈥� programs for registered nurses looking to build on their initial education at the associate degree or diploma level. In graduate schools, student enrollment increased by 6.6% in master鈥檚 programs and by 3.2% and 26.2% in research-focused and practice-focused doctoral programs, respectively. .
Impressive Growth in Baccalaureate Degree-Completion Programs
The national drive to enhance the nation鈥檚 supply of baccalaureate-prepared nurses is facilitated is by expansion in RN-to-BSN programs, which provide an efficient bridge for nurses looking to continue their education. These programs build on previous learning, prepare nurses for a higher level of nursing practice, and provide RNs with the education necessary to move forward in their nursing careers.
鈥淭his tremendous increase in RN to BSN education comes at a critical time in healthcare reform when more baccalaureate-prepared nurses are needed to fill critical roles across the continuum of care, especially outside of hospital walls,鈥� said Pamela Austin Thompson, MS, RN, CENP, FAAN, National Director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation鈥檚 (RWJF) . 鈥淐ertainly, the market for the BSN nurse has been stimulated by demand from employers who recognize the important role baccalaureate nurses play in achieving both individual and population health outcomes. We are very proud of the APIN grantees and numerous other state Action Coalitions helping to make this shift possible. Through their implementation of innovative and seamless academic progression models, sustainable infrastructure is being developed around the country that will continue to support nurses in their pursuit of advanced education.鈥� Thompson also serves as Chief Executive Officer of the American Organization of Nurse Executives and Senior Vice President of Nursing for the American Hospital Association.
Since education level has an impact on patient care, hospitals and other nurse employers are moving to hire the best educated entry-level RNs possible. New research published by Drs. David Auerbach, Peter Beurhaus, and Douglas Staiger in the January-February 2015 issue of Nursing Economics found that the percentage of BSN-prepared nurses in acute care hospitals is increasing while the employment of associate degree nurses in these settings is decreasing. Further, AACN鈥檚 special survey on the Employment of New Nurse Graduates conducted last fall found that 79.6% of employers are now requiring or expressing a strong preference for nurses with a baccalaureate degree. For more survey findings, see .
Expanding Enrollment in Doctoral Nursing Programs
Preparing more nurses in research-focused (PhD, DNS) and practice-focused (DNP) doctoral programs is a priority for the profession given the great need for nurses with the highest level of scientific knowledge and practice expertise to ensure high quality patient outcomes. According to the latest AACN survey, enrollment in PhD programs increased by 3.2% last year while escalating support for the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree generated a 26.2% increase in enrollments during the same timeframe.
鈥淪trengthening the pipeline of nurses entering both research- and practice-focused doctoral programs is critical to meeting the nation鈥檚 growing demand for nurse scientists, faculty, expert clinicians, leaders, and innovators,鈥� said Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, Senior Adviser for Nursing with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 鈥淚t鈥檚 gratifying to see that our nation鈥檚 nursing schools are significantly expanding enrollment in the DNP programs while a new investment, the , seeks to also boost enrollment in PhD programs. Programmatic expansions in both programs will make great headway in meeting the Future of Nursing report鈥檚 recommendation to double the number of nurses in the U.S. with doctorates by 2020.鈥�
鈥淗aving a robust supply of nurses with advanced education is important to ensuring that nurses are recognized as full partners in transforming health care, shaping public policy, and teaching the next generation of nurses,鈥� added Darlene Curley, MS, RN, FAAN, Executive Director of the . 鈥淭hrough our Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholars program, we are committed to strengthening the nation鈥檚 supply of doctorally prepared nursing faculty and advance practice clinicians with an eye toward increasing access to essential nursing services and improving the health of the nation.鈥�
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is the national voice for university and four-year college education programs in nursing. Representing more than 765 member schools of nursing at public and private institutions nationwide, AACN's educational, research, governmental advocacy, data collection, publications, and other programs work to establish quality standards for bachelor's- and graduate-degree nursing education, assist deans and directors to implement those standards, influence the nursing profession to improve health care, and promote public support of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research, and practice.
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