Variability in education systems and outcomes

¶ … Education

Nursing education: Why variability in education is not a barrier to full professional status for nurses

The downturn in the economy has caused a record number of individuals to consider nursing as a possible second career. Variability in previous experiences and education is often an asset, rather than a detriment to individual's future success as a nurse. "Second career nurses bring to the nursing profession something younger nurses don't have: life experience" (Anderson 2007). The experience of caring for a child or an elderly parent can give the new, older nurse valuable psychological and practical tools to deal with patients. True, one former social worker admits that having a family can make taking less desirable nursing shifts difficult and therefore present a barrier to promotional prospects. But provided that the individual has the necessary emotional, physical, and mental stamina to cope with the demands of the profession, pursuing a different educational and vocational path earlier in life should not be a barrier to success for nurses.

For Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), many nursing schools offer 'fast track' flexible programs that these allow working nurses to balance school and job demands to become Registered Nurses (RN)s. Often these programs offer degree credit for the student's previous experiences in the field. Approximately 30% of BSN graduates every year come from such programs. Even prospective nurses without undergraduate nursing degrees can enter the profession through Accelerated RN Baccalaureate Programs. These programs offer a path to becoming an RN with only one or two years of intensive education training. "According to the 2004 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, over 20% of the RN population had completed additional academic nursing or nursing related preparation after graduating" (Upgrading, 2009, All Nurses)