Highlights
- •Community colleges should partner with universities to create a shared baccalaureate curriculum providing more students at the community college the choice to enter a program where they complete their BSN before they are licensed as an RN.
- •Community colleges with RN-to-BSN programs should increase enrollment capacity and graduates from these programs.
- •Universities should increase enrollment capacity for and graduates from BSN and RN-to-BSN programs.
- •Educators and practice partners should use the BSN projection tool to set and evaluate mutual goals annually.
Abstract
Introduction
The Institute of Medicine Future of Nursing (2011) report recommended nurses achieve
higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that
promotes seamless academic progression. The report cited evidence that a higher proportion
of BSN prepared RNs in the workforce improves patient outcomes.
Methods
An extensive network of funding and grassroots support from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
and AARP Foundation generated a host of activities to advance progress in this recommendation.
Community colleges and universities strengthened strategic partnerships and developed
tools to address identified challenges. The community colleges and universities testing
academic progression models developed a new model with the potential to accelerate
progress by providing community college RN students an option to exit with a BSN (Gerardi,
Gerardi, 2017
). Building on these successes and using a projection tool (Spetz,
Spetz, 2018
), this paper illustrates recommended next steps. Implementing the proposed changes
would accelerate progress to 83.9% RNs in the workforce with BSN or higher preparation
by 2025 rather than the predicted 64% at the current rate of progress.Recommendations/Conclusions
Accelerating progress to meet national academic progression goals will require targeted
support for increased education capacity at community colleges and universities. Addressing
faculty shortages, increased student and faculty diversity, and economic drivers will
be essential for success. The strategic action proposal described in this paper can
be the essential next step to accelerate progress in this important work.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 28, 2018
Accepted:
November 25,
2018
Received in revised form:
October 30,
2018
Received:
July 17,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
