<p>I'm curious - is there a trend towards 4 year programs, or 2+2 programs? As with education, is a MS in nursing becoming a new requirement for advancement? Where is the nursing profession heading? </p>
<p>Speakers at presentations during our nursing school visits last year commented several times that they could enlarge their nursing programs at any time (if they had qualified nursing professors), but that their schools felt strongly that nursing education required smaller, one-on-one programs in which the professors got to kinow each student individually. They also mentioned limitations on available rotations. A few speakers said that they felt 100-125 was an optimum size for a nursing program. Does it appear that schools with new facilities are building in an expectation of larger and larger classes?</p>
<p>Within the last decade, pharmacy schools dropped the old 5-year degree programs. Many PharmD pharmacy are adding more prereqs that make it difficult for students to qualify for the 2+4 programs, strongly trending towards applicants who already have a B.S. (already starting to be a requirement at a few schools). More pharmaceutical schools like UCONN have also announced they will only accept applicants from their own universities due to the glut of qualified applicants. </p>
<p>Are there any similar trends in nursing education? </p>
<p>Are there any new programs? If so, does it appear that 2+2 or RN to BSN are the most popular programs? Are any 2+2 programs switching to a 0-4 approach? Or are they adding prerequisites?</p>
<p>Ohio U added a BSN 2+2 program a year or two ago, and SUNY Buffalo just dropped its freshman guarantee and went to a straight 2+2 nursing program. Penn State has added A.S. degrees in nursing at regional campuses. What else is going on in nursing education? Does anyone have a crystal ball, particularly the people who may have been doing school research or who have knowledge of the nursing industry?</p>
<p>You clearly have the makings of a nurse researcher yourself so you may want to set your sights on getting a phd in nursing.</p>
<p>Thirty years ago, when I became a nurse, they said that AA programs would be phased out and the BSN would be the base degree. Clearly that never happened. With the current healthcare crisis, that is not going to happen as nurses are brought in from other countries to care for our ill.</p>
<p>Nursing schools require nurses to have a masters degree in Nursing to teach at the BSN level. I have a masters in Health Services Administration but would not be allowed to teach in a nursing program. Some nurses go on to get their MBA, they can’t teach either. So nursing has sort of restricted itself which makes finding instructors limited and limits the availability of spots in BSN programs. Nursing education would need to be broader to bring on others to teach those programs.</p>
<p>While I did the basic 4 yr program, it sounds like the 2 + 2 s are innovative and could produce qualified nurses. One of the problems however is when I graduated, there were extensive orientation programs for new grads in most every hospital which I believe have mostly disappeared due to finances. Without additional hospital experience working as a nursing assistant, I would imagine it would be very stressful to take an entire team with only 2 yrs of nursing training.</p>
<p>Thank you for the information! It’s very interesting to hear the inside scoop on nursing education.</p>
<p>On another thread, someone asked about summer jobs for nursing students. I had not considered whether this is a necessary part of a nursing student’s training. Do you recommend that a nursing student try to find hospital employment asap? What is available to them? Do hospitals hire nursing students as aides, or in other capacities from the first year of their programs or do they only become employable later in their studies?</p>
<p>When I was in nursing school, I believe after completing my first year with a practicum I could work as a nursing assistant. Call a local hospital, nursing home or registry and ask. </p>
<p>Working as a nursing assistant is a great way to pick up skills because it helps you get your time management down to give care to a number of patients and if the RN is good, they can direct you the best way to do things. I worked as a N.A. in summers and xmas break and while waiting for my boards to be graded. </p>
<p>I would look after you have gained some skills after your first year. Additionally, you will feel more confident working in practicums as a nursing student because you will have gained more hours of patient contact and what the general hospital/unit flow and rhythm is like.</p>