Nursing Education The Impact of Nursing Education on Healthcare Quality

The percentage of registered nurses (RNs) with at least a baccalaureate degree was estimated to be 61% in 2013 (Rosseter, 2014a). While this statistic may indicate that the prevalence of highly educated RNs is considerable, the Institute of Medicine called for an increase in the number of RNs with a bachelor degree in nursing (BSN) to exceed 80% within 10 years. The rationale for this recommendation was that the healthcare system was changing is significant ways and BSN- and graduate degree-prepared RNs will be needed to usher in a new era in healthcare within the United States, one focused on improving patient safety. These statistics and recommendations were cited in a fact sheet released by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and recently updated in 2014 (Rosseter, 2014a). At the beginning of what can only be considered a policy statement supported by recommendations from a number of different stakeholders, the AACN notes that patients who receive care from nurses who have attained at least a BSN have better healthcare outcomes. To better understand why improved patient outcomes are associated with higher education levels in the nursing workforce this essay will examine the evidence supporting this claim.

Nursing Education

The main difference between BSN- and/diploma-prepared RNs is the additional coursework required for the more advanced degree (Rosseter, 2014b). This includes greater preparation in the physical sciences, social sciences, humanities, research in nursing, public health, and nursing management. The additional coursework helps RNs gain...

This includes a reduction in hospital-associated deaths by 2.12 for every 1,000 inpatients. For patients with complications and therefore requiring more complex care the number of hospital-associated deaths declined by 7.47 for every 1,000 inpatients. BSN-prepared nurses were also associated with lower rates of pressure ulcers, mortality associated with congestive heart failure, failure to rescue, and deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolisms post-surgery. Patients treated by BSN-prepared nurses tended to be discharged earlier, which suggests the quality of the care provided is higher and the cost burden for patients and insurers is lower. A number of independent studies published by researchers have shown similar findings; therefore, patient safety is improved when the care team incorporates BSN-prepared nurses.
A possible contributing factor is the lower levels of stress experienced by BSN students during clinical rotations, when compared to the stress experienced by ADN students (Oermann, 1998). Tellingly, one of the primary fears experienced by ADN students was making a clinical mistake. By comparison, BSN students feared making the wrong care decision; however, the amount of stress was overall lower for BSN students. The difference in stress levels seems counterintuitive because BSN-prepared nurses tend to have greater responsibility in providing quality…