On June 19, 2017, the New York State Legislature passed a bill that would require new registered nurses to attain a Baccalaureate of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) within 10 years of their initial licensure (A.1842B/S.6768). This bill had bipartisan support and was sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle and Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan. Rochester Regional Healthcare Association, which represents 17 hospitals in Rochester and the Finger Lakes, strongly supports this legislation and urges the Governor to sign it into law.
Elevating the nursing profession is one of the most effective strategies to improve the quality of patient care. In fact, “The Future of Nursing” report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences recommended increasing the proportion of nurses with a bachelor’s degree as response to the heightened demands of our health care system and to meet the changing needs of patients.
The bachelor’s degree requirement would apply only to new nursing students after the bill's implementation. All current students, or students on waiting lists to begin a nursing program, would be exempt. In addition, all current registered nurses would be "grandfathered in” and would be exempt.
The legislation also establishes a temporary commission to evaluate and report on barriers to entering into the nursing profession. If enacted, this legislation would take effect immediately; however, the requirement that nurses obtain a baccalaureate degree within 10 years of licensure would take effect 18 months after the legislation becomes law.
BSN in 10 would not eliminate the associate’s degree in nursing. Rather, it would preserve the associate’s degree and its pathway to employment by allowing nurses to practice immediately after achieving their associate’s degree. Online degrees have made it easier for nurses to return to school and further their education on their own time, while maintaining their current employment.
According to a 2014 Nursing and Allied Health Care Professionals Workforce Survey Report by the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS), there has been a significant increase in the number of hospitals that prefer to hire “BSN-only” nurses. In addition, several hospitals are offering tuition reimbursement, flexible scheduling, and links to BSN programs to assist nurses in furthering their education.
Our health care system is continuing to evolve, and health care providers are engaged in an array of quality and patient safety initiatives in their efforts to improve patient care. This bill is a tremendous step in that direction.
The BSN in 10 legislation is supported by the American Nurses Association – New York (ANA-New York), Coalition for Advancement of Nurse Education (CANE), New York Organization of Nursing Executives and Leaders (NYONEL), 1199 SEIU and the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS).
Rochester Regional Healthcare Association urges the governor to take the final step and sign it into law.