Content provided in partnership with

Health Care Industry

Not your mother's nursing school

AORN Journal, Feb, 2008 by Kathleen B. Gaberson

Much has been written about the growing nursing shortage. Health care professionals, administrators, policy makers, legislators, regulators, third-party payers, and consumers are concerned about whether we will be able to recruit and retain a well-educated, experienced nursing workforce to meet projected needs. As a Baby Boomer, I will be contributing to the problem when I retire next year, among the first of my generation to be eligible for early Social Security benefits. Our retirements not only will reduce the number of professional nurses in the workforce but also will produce a worrisome loss of expertise and wisdom gained from many years of professional experience and continuing education. I'd like to think that I have also contributed to a solution to the problem by devoting the last 35 years of my career to educating nursing students for entry into the profession.

Most Popular Articles in Health: Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...; Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions; Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...; The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use; The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...; More »

Nursing students inevitably enjoy their clinical learning activities more than the classroom work; new students eagerly anticipate the first time they can enter a clinical setting and learn from their instructors and clinical staff members how to care for real patients. Most nurses also enjoy working with nursing students--patiently answering questions; sharing their clinical wisdom; and even learning from the students about newer theories, interventions, and evidence for practice. Their passion for the profession and commitment to excellence is truly inspiring to students.

Although most of my students enjoy listening to stories about "how we used to do it," many of them become discouraged and demoralized when staff members question and even criticize current nursing education methods. How will we recruit new nurses into the workforce when important role models and future colleagues express dissatisfaction with and disapproval of the way in which students are prepared for professional practice?

A clever old television commercial touted a company's new cars as "not your father's Oldsmobile." The prospective buyer was urged to replace the old impression of a staid family sedan with the image of a lively, exciting, fun vehicle. If I could characterize contemporary nursing education programs to nurses who have been in practice for some time, I would say that they're "not your mother's nursing school." Nursing education has undergone considerable change in the 40 years that I have been practicing, and unless you have held academic appointments, you may not be fully aware of the changes or understand the rationale behind them. We need to understand current nursing education trends and practices so that we can facilitate the successful integration of new graduates into the profession--graduates who have not been educated in our mothers' nursing school or ours, but in programs that are responding to the contemporary realities of higher education and health care.

MYTHS DEBUNKED

Well-meaning nursing staff members often give advice to students based on both their own educational experiences and common myths about professional nursing education and preparation for licensure. Let's debunk some of those myths and replace them with accurate information to guide our responses to contemporary nursing students.

Myth 1: Diploma and associate degree nursing programs include more clinical hours; BSN programs are highly theoretical and don't offer as much practical experience.

This myth actually predates the existence of associate degree nursing programs, and at one time, it may have had some basis in fact when comparing diploma and baccalaureate nursing programs. In contemporary professional nursing education programs, however, students spend approximately the same amount of time in clinical learning activities regardless of the type of program. Although it is true that baccalaureate nursing students spend more time in the classroom than associate degree or diploma students do, that difference is due largely to the total length of the program, including non-nursing general studies requirements. The number of credits or hours allotted to clinical courses is remarkably similar in all nursing programs. Baccalaureate nursing programs contain courses not usually required by diploma and associate degree programs, such as community health and nursing research, but the clinical knowledge that is tested on the licensure examination is the same for all nursing graduates and requires approximately the same amount of time to teach and learn.

Myth 2: If a program isn't accredited by the National League for Nursing, it isn't a good program.

The National League for Nursing (NLN) once was the only accrediting body for nursing education programs, including practical nursing, diploma, associate degree, baccalaureate, and master's levels. In response to US Department of Education policy, however, the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) was formed in 1997 as an accrediting body separate from its associated membership organization, the NLN. (1) It is no longer accurate to refer to "NLN accreditation," although old habits die hard, and it is not uncommon to hear even nurse educators make this error.

Health Care Industry

Not your mother's nursing school

AORN Journal, Feb, 2008 by Kathleen B. Gaberson

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Health

Most Popular Articles in Health

Most Popular Publications in Health