BSN in 10 May Become Mandatory Education for Nurses
New York and New Jersey hospitals are awaiting legislation to pass which will mandate all nurses to hold a BSN degree or higher. If the bill is passed, current RN’s will be required to return to school to attain their BSN degree. Whether this is a trend that will stay on the East Coast or cause a National movement, we do not know.
According to Tracey Boyd on Nurse.com, the new BSN mandate is being implemented because of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s desired Magnet recognition. Even though legislation has not passed the new BSN in 10 bill, hospitals on the east coast are already actively stepping up to the plate and enforcing the policy early.
Working nurses in these areas are being required to return to school to attain their BSN and new hires will be required to already possess the degree before applying. This could cause quite a controversy for those who have been working in the nursing field for many years that do not have the desire to return to the classroom.
Hospitals state the reason for the new requirement is because of the increased complexity of medical care. They believe that nurses who possess a BSN or higher education tend to improve the safety of a patient are more cost effective and produce lower mortality rates.
Who will pay for your BSN
So for those who are already working as a nurse in the hospitals that are implementing the BSN or higher policy early a partial tuition reimbursement may be granted by your employer. Some employers are offering up to $5,000 in tuition fees per year to each nurse attending school for their BSN degree. While this will not cover their entire tuition, cost it will help. There are also other financial avenues that can be looked into to help cover the expense of returning to school, such as scholarships and grants.
If time has been a deterrent to gaining your BSN, now is a perfect opportunity for you to acquire it. Those hospitals already on board with a BSN or higher degree have realized that nurses working twelve hour shifts may not be able to manage those hours and attend classes. Employers have made accommodations for that fact by making a few scheduling adjustments for you that will suit your academic needs. One convenient way of getting past this, is the availability of online BSN degree program.
