New York State may require nurses to obtain 4-year degrees

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 10 May 2004 - 0:00 PDT


New York state is looking into the possibility of demanding that nurses obtain a 4-year degree.

Clad in surgical mask, goggles and rubber gloves, Jane Kaewjantuk peered into the patient's open mouth and got down to business, working the long, plastic vacuuming nozzle over the teeth and around the tongue. If the Rochester 23-year-old made any mistakes in her first lesson on oropharyngeal suctioning, the rubber-faced dummy on the gurney didn't let on.

Kaewjantuk has long wanted to be a nurse, which brought her to the program at Monroe Community College. Once she earns her registered nurse certification and lands a job, she said she eventually wants to return to school and get a bachelor's degree in nursing.

At some point, nursing students like her may not have a choice.

New York is mulling over a requirement that would force all RNs to earn a bachelor's degree in order to keep their RN certification - a step that critics worry could serve as a body blow to a profession already facing a severe shortage.

Under the state Board of Nursing proposal, RNs with associate's degrees would have to earn bachelor's degrees within 10 years, or their RN certifications would be downgraded to that of licensed practical nurse.

That would make nursing somewhat like teaching in New York state; certified K-12 teachers need master's degrees or must obtain one within three years of starting a job. It would also add years and thousands of dollars to the difficulty of becoming an RN.

Under the proposal, the certification change would affect only future graduates, not nurses already working.

"The concern is, we're in the middle of a critical nursing shortage as it is," said Laurel Sanger, chairwoman of Monroe Community College's nursing department. "Don't get me wrong - we all support continuing education for nurses. Our concern is about the implementation - would it discourage people from entering nursing in the first place?"

Added Nancy Clarkson, chairwoman of the Finger Lakes Community College nursing department, "There's a place for the various nurses and practices. (And) we encourage students who are able to go on, to go on for additional education. To mandate that, I'm not sure is the best way to go."

According to a 2003 study commissioned by the state Department of Education, New York is about 16,000 nurses shy of the number needed to care for state residents. Nearly a quarter of the nurses working in New York will leave their jobs in the next five years, the study found.

The state Board of Regents - which would have to OK any requirement change - has no time frame for discussing the proposal, said state Education Department spokesman Tom Dunn. As to the motivation of the proposal, Dunn said, "it's something (the nursing board) feels should be discussed."

By Matthew Daneman

Full article can be found at: http://www.rochesterdandc.com/news/0413BA3TIOG_news.shtml

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