Education
Various aspects motivate RNs to pursue BSN degrees
Different motivators influence RNs? The decision to pursue a BSN or higher degree, the study shows. The motivators mentioned within the study include interest in profession and skilled advancement, acquiring latest knowledge, improving social welfare skills and being a positive role model for one’s children. RNs identified the need for private and skilled satisfaction and skilled achievement as necessary intrinsic motivators. College-educated nurses usually tend to report being very satisfied with their jobs, compared with college-educated nurses who usually tend to report moderate or extreme dissatisfaction with their jobs, the researchers noted. The research team also asked nurses about barriers to returning to high school and pursuing a further nursing degree. The two most typical answers were “cost” and “family/children,” followed by “lack of time.” Of those reporting cost and time as significant barriers, many cited difficulty in scheduling activities around their work schedule as a significant challenge. RNs reported that support from employers and academic institutions made them more more likely to return to high school. RNs who said they were undecided about pursuing nursing education identified organizational incentives and rewards as necessary motivating aspects. These include tuition reimbursement, compatible work and sophistication hours, paid sabbaticals, forgivable service loans, pay for attendance, and online and on-the-job classes. The study, a part of the RN Work Project (www.rnworkproject.org), was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The directors of the RN Work Project and principal investigators of the most recent study are Christine T. Kovner, MD, FAAN, professor within the College of Nursing at New York University; and Carol Brewer, RN, PhD, FAAN, professor on the University at Buffalo School of Nursing. The researchers noted that a key advice within the Institute of Medicine’s 2010 report, “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,” calls for 80% of nurses to carry a BSN or higher by 2020. “As our health care system changes, there is a growing need for more nurses with a bachelor’s degree or higher,” Kovner said in a news release. “The patient population is aging, and more and more patients suffer from increasingly complex diseases. Healthcare is increasingly reliant on information technology. More people have access to care. “Not only do we need more BSN-prepared nurses to provide care in this increasingly complex system, we need more nursing faculty in our colleges and universities to educate the next generation of nurses. Knowing what motivates nurses to seek BSN or advanced degrees is key.” Survey respondents with an associate’s degree were more more likely to pursue a BSN in the event that they were black, lived in a rural area, had non-nursing work experience, and were optimistic about their job. prospects and better work motivation, worked in an intensive care unit or lower-status unit, and worked a day shift Study respondents with a BSN were more more likely to select an MSN or higher degree in the event that they were black, had nonnursing work experience, and had more qualifications. than one job, lived in a non-rural area, worked the day shift and voluntarily worked extra time, had less desire to stick with their current employer, and were more motivated to work “Given that the cost of education is a major barrier for many nurses, increasing scholarships and other financial incentives for returning to school should be a top priority for funders,” Kovner said. “It is also very important to schedule undergraduate and graduate-level classes at times and places that are more convenient for RNs.” The RN Work Project is a 10-year study of newly licensed RNs that began in 2006. It is described as the only multistate, longitudinal study of new nurses? turnover rates, intentions, and attitudes, including intentions, satisfaction, organizational commitment, and work preferences. The study used data from nurses in 34 states, covering 51 metropolitan areas and 9 rural areas. The study appears in the November issue of the Journal of Professional Nursing. An abstract of the study is available at www.professionalnursing.org/article/S8755-7223%2812%2900077-4/abstract. Explanation Information about organizational incentives that may motivate RNs to pursue BSN degrees comes from a press release that does not cite its primary source. The source was a study that appeared in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing: “Motivating Registered Nurses to Return to Higher Education.” Joan Warren, RN-BC, PhD, NEA-BC, director of skilled practice and research, MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, Baltimore; and Mary Etta Mills, RN, ScD, NEA-BC, FAAN, professor on the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore.