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ANA’s POSITION PAPER (1965)
The ANA believed that improvement of nursing practice was
dependent on the advancement of nursing education. Four Major Positions:
1. The education for all those who are licensed to practice nursing should
take place in an institution of higher education.
2. Minimum preparation for beginning professional nursing practice at the
present time should be baccalaureate degree education in nursing.
3. Minimum preparation for beginning technical nursing practice at the
present time should be associate degree education in nursing.
4. Education for assistants in the health service occupations would be
short, intensive preservice programs in vocational education institutions
rather than on-job training programs.
THREE RESOLUTIONS ADOPOTED IN 1978:
(1) That by 1985 the minimum preparation for entry into
professional nursing practice should be BSN, and that the ANA would work
closely with the state nurses' associations to identify and define two
categories of nursing practice, and that national guidelines for
implementation be identified and reported back to the ANA membership by
1980. (2) That the ANA establish a mechanism devising a comprehensive
statement of competencies for the two categories of nursing by 1980. (3)
That the ANA actively support increased accessibility to high-quality career
mobility programs that use flexible approaches for those seeking academic
degrees in nursing.
ANA POSITION PAPER (1984)
The Cabinet on Nursing Education introduced an initiative
and won an unconditional endorsement of its plan to establish the
baccalaureate for professional practice in 50% of the states by 1992. More
money was allocated to assist the state associations to bring this plan into
effect. The House of Delegates decided that the title of "registered nurse"
be reserved for the professional nurse prepared with a BSN, and that the
title "associate nurse" was adopted as the title to be used for the
technical nurse with an ADN. The New York Nurses' Association became the
first state to adopt the resolution mandating the BSN degree as entry into
professional practice by 1985.
Problems Associated With Changes In The Educational Preparation Of
Nurses:
1. Titling -- Widespread dissatisfaction among the ranks of associate degree
graduates, students, and educators occurred with those who believed that
this denigrates the ADN graduate, who currently is using the RN title.
2. Scope of Practice -- The scope of practice is that section of the Nurse
Practice Act that outlines the activities a person with that license may
legally do. Associate degree educators have been adamant in their contention
that unless the scope of practice for the ADN graduate also includes some of
the RN behaviors, that ADN's will be unemployable ADN able to do less than
the LPN of today.
3. Grandfather Clause -- This clause is limited to the protection of a
nurses' license. Additional qualifications can be established for certain
jobs for RNs, and these are not included in nurse practice acts. For
example, many head nurses and supervisors are currently working in these
positions with associate degree and diploma preparation only. Qualifications
could be written that would require the supervisor or head nurse to have a
BSN.
4. Interstate Endorsements -- With the different titles between states that
had accepted the changes and those who have not accepted the changes. Title
would be more difficult to transfer from one state to another.
5. NLN Accreditation Movement -- Accreditation - a process by which a
voluntary organization or governmental agency appraises and grants
accredited status to institutions and/or programs or services that meet
predetermined structure, process, and outcome criteria. Minimum standards
for basic nursing education programs are established in each state of the
U.S. and in each province in Canada. Accreditation by the NLN certifies that
an educational program not only meets minimum standards buy also in
considered "good" by national standards. It is not a legal requirement as is
state or provincial accreditation. The goals of accreditation include
providing the public with well-prepared nurses, guiding students in the
selection of a program. assuring the public of the quality of the school and
its faculty, and stimulating the continued improvement in schools. Working
with published criteria and guidelines, each school or agency prepares a
rather involved self-study. After completing the study, the school is
visited by representatives of NLN. Their purpose in visiting the school is
to assess and evaluate the program and make recommendations about
accreditation status.
6. Other Types of Services Offered by the NLN -- (1) Consultation (2)
Continuing Education (3) Evaluation and Testing (4) Research.
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