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Fall 2003
Vol.1 | No. 2
We want to know your opinion!
The
question we'll be highlighting next issue is:
As either a clinician or a patient,
have you ever witnessed or experienced inequity in
health care? Was the inequity resolved?
Editor
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
525 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205.
We
reserve the right to edit for length, style, and clarity.
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In
this forum for discussing "hot button" issues facing the
nursing profession today, we welcome your thoughts and opinions. Check
this space each
issue to see how our readers answer the provocative questions we pose.
Our
question this issue:
Are baccalaureate-prepared nurses really needed in the acute care
setting? Why or why not?
I believe that nurses working in the acute care setting should be
prepared at the baccalaureate level. Nurses in the acute care setting
must have excellent critical thinking skills, be able to analyze
complex information from multiple sources, and problem solve quickly.
In addition, they need a state-of-the-art understanding of cultural
norms so that they can effectively serve their clients and families
who come from diverse backgrounds. For example, a recent group of
nursing students working in their leadership rotation at Johns Hopkins
Hospital found that they encountered patients from every corner of
the world. Often our students are praised for their excellent analytical
skills as well as their knowledge of cultural norms that can influence
health outcomes.
Carm Dorsey, MS, RN
Clinical Instructor
Johns
Hopkins University School of Nursing
Given
that there is no distinction in the registration and licensing
process
for nurses
prepared at the associate, baccalaureate, or master's level,
and the current nurse shortage is forecast to reach 800,000
fewer registered nurses than needed by the year 2020, your question
becomes a philosophical debate that has gone on for as long
as
I have been
a nurse. With current registered nurse shortages running
as high as 19 percent, acute care facilities have to be flexible
and
creative in how they deploy the scarce resource that registered
nurses represent,
if they are to provide quality care to the communities they
serve.
There is room on an effective team for registered nurses
prepared at all levels. However, different roles require
different levels
of training and education. The key is to build a professional
nursing culture that differentiates between the levels of
education and matches
educational preparation to level of practice; that rewards
nurses through an equitable pay program based on their education
and responsibilities;
that supports and encourages nurses to continue their education;
that has a clinical promotion track as well as an administrative
one; and that recognizes and values every nurse on the team.
Julia Gooden Bolton, '61
Williamstown, MA
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