Running head: The Nursing Profession

The Nursing Profession: Better patient outcomes with higher percentage of BSN’s on Staff
Holly LeFever
Grand Canyon University: NURS430V
January 25, 2015

Advancing the Nursing Profession: Better patient outcomes with higher percentage of BSN’s on Staff There once was a time that graduate nurses were limited to mostly private duty jobs in an ill persons home obtained through a registry system, and nurses in training were the primary hospital staff, since hospitals were once considered a place for those who had no one else to care for them. (Creasia & Friberg, 2011) It wasn’t until the mid 1920’s that hospitals began to adopt the business model due to the advancements in scientific medicine and the baby boom after soldiers returned home from WWI ( Creasia & Friberg, 2011) this was one of the many catalyst in a chain of events that led to the push for graduate nurses in the hospital by the 1950’s. Although nursing was becoming a more reputable position in the healthcare team, nurses still experience resistance from the physicians and healthcare administration. Some says that due to the hierarchical hospital systems nurses began to identify advancement in education a potential pathway to leadership. ( Creasia & Friberg, 2011 ) A person can begin their nursing profession through many different educational levels. As of now the minimum requirement to become a Registered Nurse is to obtain an associate degree. Several key capacities are more fine tuned in the standard BSN program. BSN students receive a significant amount more of training in the areas of quality care outcomes, collaboration with healthcare teams ,in depth critical thinking, evidence based practice, nursing theory and how to apply it in the health care setting (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). The ADN nurse is trained more in the technical area of bedside nursing with less attention of the above mentioned areas taught in the BSN program. The new graduate BSN is also prepared to take on leadership roles were is the ADN graduate is not as prepared in the same fashion for those roles (Creasia & Friberg,2011). The Grand Canyon University Baccalaureate Curriculum Model follows the holistic approach of core teachings as well as the relationship to the patient and their overall health and well being (GCU College of Nursing, 2011). These core capacities can improve the quality of care given . Per the Institute of Medicine (IOM) it is recommended that by 2020 that all RNs obtain their BSN. (McNamara A., 2014) With the drastic changes in our nations healthcare system, revolving door patients have become costly to healthcare organizations . A study published in October of 2014 found that by increasing the amount of BSNs on staff to 80%, would result in significantly lower patient re-admission rates and shorter patient stays. ( AACN, 2014). BSN nurses are proficient in the area of evidence based practice, critical thinking and collaboration with other members of the healthcare team. Which can result in better clinical judgment when applying the nursing process to patients. This can lead to a decrease in re-hospitalization/ extended stay. A study published in 2013 found that hospitals with higher percentages of RNs that hold bachelor degrees or higher had a lower percentage of congestive heart failure mortality, failure to rescue, decubitus ulcers and post operative DVT or PE.( AACN, 2014 ) . It is that baccalaureate prepared nurse that would apply critical thinking skills to determine certain nursing interventions for their bed bound patient . They would make sure to follow the standard facility protocol along with knowledge the’ve gained through their educational career. To assess the patient’s response to environmental factors, to aid in the develop of that patient’s plan of care. They would also