More nurses opt for advanced degrees

By Joan Tupponce

Even though the economy remains weaker than normal, registered nurses are still in demand. Today, many hospitals and health-care settings are looking for registered nurses with higher education.

Nurses who want to advance their education have several options. Schools of nursing and health professions in colleges such as the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth, Marymount, Radford and Old Dominion universities offer a variety of programs. Registered nurses with an associate degree or diploma can further their careers by earning either a baccalaureate or master's degree on a part-time or full-time basis.

"There are a number of nurses that don't have a bachelor's degree," observed ODU's chair of the School of Nursing, Karen Karlowicz, EdD, RN. "A lot of hospitals are requiring nurses to get their BSN because they want magnet status [a designation where hospitals must satisfy a set of specific criteria]."

Better quality of care
Quality of care is enhanced when nurses have a higher level of education. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), research shows that positive outcomes, lower mortality rates and fewer medication errors are all linked to nurses prepared at the baccalaureate and graduate-degree levels.

The number of registered nurses taking advantage of RN-to-baccalaureate programs is on the increase. From 2008 to 2009, enrollment in those programs increased by 12.8 percent, which marks the seventh year of enrollment increases, according to the AACN.

Currently, there are 634 RN-to-baccalaureate programs available across the country. Program length varies from one to two years, depending upon the school's requirements and program type and the student's previous academic achievement.

There are also 161 RN-to-master's degree programs available nationwide. That number has more than doubled in the past 15 years. Master's programs prepare nurses for roles in areas such as administration, teaching and research and as clinical nurse leaders.

Most programs generally take three years to complete with specific requirements varying by institution and the student's previous course work.

Specialty areas
Often, the master's programs will include several specialty areas, such as family nurse practitioner, women's health nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner and acute-care nurse practitioner.

"In the past year or two our most popular programs are family nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner and acute-care nurse practitioner," noted Clay Hysell, assistant dean for admissions and financial aid at the U.Va. School of Nursing. "There is a need for all types of advanced nurses, but those three areas are receiving more applications."

Currently, VCU School of Nursing has approximately 265 students enrolled in all of the tracks included in its master's program. Susan Lipp, assistant dean for enrollment and student services at the school, is also seeing a significant interest in nurses becoming nurse practitioners. "The advanced practice role is very attractive to nurses," she said.

Nurse midwifery
Shenandoah University's Division of Nursing offers nurses a unique specialty. It has the only nurse midwifery program in the state. In that program, Shenandoah partners with other institutions. Students can enroll in the graduate program at one of the partnering schools and apply for the midwifery classes at Shenandoah. Most of the classes are offered online.

"We have nurse midwife preceptors to do the clinical education in the areas where the students live," explained Janice Smith, PhD, associate director of student affairs at Shenandoah's Division of Nursing. "They graduate with a master's degree and a certificate in midwifery. Then, they are eligible for licensure."

Several schools of nursing in Virginia offer a Ph.D. in nursing that prepares students for roles in research and teaching. Nurses can also opt for a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP).

Doctorate in Nursing Practice
Marymount University, one of five schools in Virginia offering the DNP, started its program in 2009. Students can come into the program with either a bachelor's or master's degree. "The DNP is specifically designed for nursing practice," explained Teresa Cappello, PhD, dean of Marymount's School of Health Professions. "You must be an advanced practice nurse."

According to new survey data released in March 2010 by the AACN, enrollment in doctoral nursing programs increased by more than 20 percent this year, signaling strong interest among students in careers as nursing scientists, faculty, primary-care providers and specialists.

The need for nurses with higher levels of education will continue to rise, according to nursing school officials. Karlowicz at Old Dominion often finds in conversations with nursing students entering the school's baccalaureate program that their aspirations are high. "They have their eye beyond a bachelor's degree," she said.