Changing Healthcare Requirements Prompt Registered Nurses to Earn Bachelor's Degrees Laura Gilmore earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree in 2012, more than five years after she got her first job as a nurse. Today, as the Magnet Coordinator for Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) in Zion, Illinois, Gilmore reflects on the decision to pursue her BSN. "I didn't need a bachelor's degree to be hired as a registered nurse (RN) when I started working in 2007," Gilmore says. "Today, the industry is changing, and many hospitals now require nurses to hold a bachelor's degree. I knew I needed to go back to school to stay competitive and to improve the quality of care I provide to my patients." Healthcare leaders agree that nurses with a BSN degree or higher possess a broader knowledge base of patient care, quality standards, business acumen and other skills that result in improved patient outcomes.
A recent study from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) indicates that increasing the percentage of nurses with bachelor's degrees in a hospital can significantly lower readmission rates and shorten lengths of stay. That is why nearly half of hospitals and other healthcare settings have begun to require incoming nurses to have a BSN, according to the study. In 2013, when Gilmore's hospital earned magnet status, a prestigious designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), it agreed to a magnet requirement that 80 percent of its RNs hold a BSN by 2020. According to the ANCC, healthcare organizations achieving Magnet status provide higher-quality patient care, foster innovations in the nursing practice and contribute to a more collaborative work culture. Gilmore's path to earn her BSN is not uncommon, but her moti-
vation to provide her patients with high quality care is extraordinary. Gilmore decided she wanted to be a nurse during high school after her brother underwent an extensive hospital stay for a brain tumor. "I had the opportunity to witness the extraordinary care my brother's nurses provided during his hospitalization," Gilmore says. "Their compassion and professionalism inspired me to attend nursing school in the first place." After securing her certified nursing assistant credential, Gilmore chose to study for her RN license at a local technical school so she could help her mother care for her brother. He has since made a full recovery. When Gilmore started working at the CTCA in 2008, the facility was already on track to earn magnet status. She quickly set her sights on going back to school, so she could become part of CTCA's
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