3 DQ 1
Nursing is the only health profession with multiple pathways to entry-level practice. Three leading health scientists affiliated with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are among those who have shown that pathways that lead to a bachelors degree in nursing and higher may improve patient outcomes (RWJF, 2018). Nurses who graduate from a BSN program receive a comprehensive education. They are prepared to apply essential competencies such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and attention to detail for a broader scope of practice. In addition, they learn clinical, leadership, and case management skills. Nurses who have the expertise and preparation that enables them to provide optimal patient care leading to fewer clinical errors and fatalities.
It is clear that research has linked registered nurses with higher education to having fewer medication errors, positive patient outcomes, and lower patient mortality rates. In an article published in the March 2013 issue of Health Affairs, nurse researcher Ann Kutney-Lee and colleagues found that a 10-point increase in the percentage of nurses holding a BSN within a hospital was associated with an average reduction of 2.12 deaths for every 1,000 patients and for a subset of patients with complications, an average reduction of 7.47 deaths per 1,000 patients. In the February 2013 issue of the Journal of Nursing Administration, Mary Blegen and colleagues published findings from a cross-sectional study of 21 University Health system Consortium hospitals which found that hospitals with a higher percentage of RNs with baccalaureate or higher degrees had lower congestive heart failure mortality, decubitus ulcers, failure to rescue, and postoperative deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism and shorter length of stay (Registerednursing.org,2020)
Using 200-300 words APA format with at least two references. Sources must be published within the last 5 years.
