New Hampshire Nurses Consider Nursing Education Advancement
Janet Haebler MSN, RN, Associate Director, ANA State Government Affairs meets with the NH Commission of Government Affairs
During the New Hampshire Nurses Association’s (NHNA) fall convention, October 22, 2009, Janet Haebler, MSN, RN, Associate Director, ANA State Government Affairs delivered the closing plenary on nursing education advancement.
ANA has a history rich in nursing education policy; most dramatic when the ANA Board of Directors adopted the ANA Committee on Education’s recommendations to require a baccalaureate degree as minimum requirement for entry into the practice. This 1965 position paper created a new license and title for graduates from programs granting an associate degree and subsequently eliminated two types of nursing education programs: LPN and diploma. ANA’s desire for nurses to maintain an equal footing with other health professionals was one of the driving factors. In spite of four states that attempted to implement this policy change, this change was never fully realized.
More than forty years later (2008), the ANA House of Delegates adopted a resolution affirming that increased numbers of baccalaureate prepared nurses are needed to address the ongoing challenges of an increasingly complex health care delivery system as well as supporting initiatives that increase the number of baccalaureate prepared nurses. One such approach is state legislation that would require a registered nurse to achieve a baccalaureate degree within 10 years of initial licensure (RN to BSN in 10 years). Although no law has yet been enacted, two states (New Jersey and New York) have introduced bills. Other state nurses associations, as NHNA, are considering their options and creating ways to educate members and other stakeholders on this issue. Reflecting on the history of attempts at nursing education advancement is an important first step. In addition to the convention education session on this issue, ANA staff met with the Commission of Government Affairs to examine the possibilities in NH.
Janet Haebler, MSN, RN
Tags: New Hampshire Nurses Association, November-December 2009
