Nurses have become the backbone of American health care over the past two centuries. But with advancements in health care come advancements in education for those who work in this field.
In the 1960s, formal associate degree programs in nursing began to outpace diploma programs for the first time. And in 1982, the National League for Nursing first stated its desire to see more nurses with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Today, as hospitals look for new ways to stand out in the marketplace, the Magnet Recognition Program® has become a new driving force using formal education to reshape how the field of nursing looks and functions.
What is Magnet Status?
Magnet Status is the common terminology used to describe an award given to hospitals by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as part of its Magnet Recognition Program®. The award, which grants hospitals the opportunity to market themselves as a “Magnet Hospital,” represents the fulfillment of predetermined requirements that measure the strength and quality of a hospital’s nursing staff.
Greater involvement in data collection and decision-making in patient treatment are just a few examples of how hospitals seeking Magnet status are asking their nurses to expand their role. Additionally, many hospitals are looking to hire more nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree or encourage current registered nursing staff to enroll in RN-BSN transition programs to enhance their skills.
“Once you have a bachelor’s degree in nursing, you can be a head nurse, nurse manager, educator, researcher, consultant, and more,” says Usama Saleh, MSN, Ph.D., department chair of The Chicago School’s nursing program. “So, bridging their education to a bachelor degree opens many more opportunities for current registered nurses.”
Hospitals around the U.S. have ramped up their pursuit of Magnet Status recognition in recent years, with 2020 becoming the target year of achieving this for many.
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The 80 percent initiative
In 2010, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health was released by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). According to the report, responding to the demands of an evolving health care system would require nurses to achieve higher levels of education. It recommended that 80 percent of the nursing workforce, at a minimum, have a bachelor’s degree by 2020 in response.
Four years later, a study titled “Economic Evaluation of the 80% Baccalaureate Nurse Workforce Recommendation” analyzed how achieving this 80 percent threshold could impact a hospital’s bottom line. It determined that “increasing the amount of care provided by BSNs to 80% would result in significantly lower readmission rates and shorter lengths of stay. These outcomes translate into cost savings that would more than off-set expenses for increasing the number of baccalaureate-prepared nurses in hospital settings.”
Today, this 80 percent threshold has become a requirement for hospitals to achieve Magnet Status. If a hospital has not already met the 80/20 ratio, it must be capable of providing proof of plans to achieve it by the year 2020 in order to be considered.
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How this affects current registered nurses (RNs)
Opportunities for advancement as an RN may become more and more limited as the field of nursing continues to evolve. Additionally, RNs who are not already employed may find themselves losing out on new job opportunities to better qualified candidates. While the job outlook for RNs is still strong, the 80 percent initiative is an important objective for health care administrators and hospitals in pursuit of Magnet Status, and therefore should become important to the nurses that staff these hospitals.
The increased demand for nurses with a BSN is even greater in the public sector. The U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force now require that nurses have a BSN to practice as an active-duty RN. Additionally, the nation’s largest employer of RNs, the Veteran’s Administration (VA), requires nurses to hold a BSN for promotion beyond an entry-level position.
Making the transition from RN to BSN
Some reports state that the number of RN-BSN graduates has more than doubled since the initial release of the 2010 report by the IOM. Current RNs seeking to follow this trend may consider programs specifically designed to help them with this transition, such as The Chicago School’s Online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) program.
This online program is designed for RNs who want to advance their career while also maintaining their full-time jobs and/or family commitments. Additionally, the program offers a mental health concentration, which better prepares graduates to provide holistic care while also differentiating themselves from others in their field.
Current RNs seeking to enroll in an RN-BSN program may consider speaking with their current supervisors to explore whether their place of employment is offering incentives to further their education. It is possible that some employers may potentially help cover tuition costs as well.
Are you ready to take the next step?
If you would like to learn more about the nursing program at The Chicago School, fill out the form below to request more information. You can also apply today through our application portal.