The Call For More Nursing Education
JANUARY 3, 2013 - ELIZABETH TANNEN
The nursing workforce needs more education.
That's one of the main statements from a recent report by the Institute of Medicine, and the field of nursing is taking it seriously.
Called The Future of Nursing, the IOM committee—led by former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala—made several specific policy recommendations: among them, a call for an eighty percent increase in the number of nurses with a baccalaureate degree by 2020, and double the number of doctorates.1
But with doctorate programs taking up to six years to complete, many nurses who wish to advance in their careers are opting for an intermediate option: an MSN, or Masters of Science in Nursing. One reason in particular: the emergence of numerous "bridge" programs that allow you to use credits from your associate degree toward getting an MSN. According to the AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing), there are now 168 RN to MSN programs nationwide—a more than fifty percent increase since fifteen years ago.2 And many more are in the planning stages. And, more and more of them—like Aspen—are online, allowing nurses to work through their degrees and fit studying into their individualized schedules.
The recommendation to get a BSN, from a policy perspective, is rather straight-forward: research has shown that baccalaureate degrees translate to better patient outcomes.
But the reasons to get an MSN aren't, necessarily, as clear-cut. The patient outcome standard can't be applied as easily, since most nurses who go back for their MSNs switch career tracks after they do.
"It's apples to oranges," explains Pam Herendeen, Associate Dean at the University of Rochester School of Nursing in upstate New York. "But if you want to have any kind of leadership role, you really need to go back for your Masters. Especially in metropolitan areas, you're going to find that anybody in a leadership position has not only their BSN but an MSN."
Additionally, MSN is the entry level degree for nurse educators. (For most faculty positions, you'll need a doctorate). And it opens up doors toward positions in public health and health policy.
For nurses who want stay in the clinical practice, an MSN is required to become a Nurse Practitioner. Years ago you only needed a certificiate, but these days, Herendeen says, a Masters is necessary. Certification as a Nurse Practitioner requires a specialization—pediatrics, OBGYN, geriatrics, etc.—so it makes sense for anyone looking to enhance their expertise and cement their credibility in a particular specialty.
Most often, NPs wind up doing outpatient services, or ambulatory care, as opposed to inpatient work. But Herendeen says that's not always the case.
"People don't necessarily want to leave the bedside," she says. "We're seeing more and more nurses who go back for their Masters and return to the hospital floors."
Whether you leave the hospital as a Nurse Practitioner or stay inpatient, an MSN doesn't necessarily guarantee a raise: working in the intensive care units at off hours still may earn you more pay than NP work. However, as Herendeen points out, you're likely to have a more civilized schedule as an NP. "It's very individualized," she says. "But there are some people who will wind up taking a pay cut."
It's worth noting, though, that another of the IOM Report's chief recommendations was the elimination of "scope of practice" barriers: meaning that advanced practice nurses would be able to perform the same duties as physicians, and get paid accordingly.
But let's face it, most nurses don't enter for the field for the paycheck. More often, the decision to go back for an MSN is more about professional advancement than it is about money. And with the IOM's increased pressure on hospitals to support nurse education, as well as the burgeoning availability of bridge programs and online degrees, an MSN is more accessible than ever.
http://www.aspen.edu/school-of-nursing/blog/the-call-for-more-nursing-education