Nursing education began in hospitals with the first formal education in the United States, starting in the 1870s (Billings & Halstead, 2019).  Billings and Halstead (2019) support, hospitals developed these programs as diploma nursing programs to meet nursing staff's care needs. Moving along to the mid-nineteenth century, higher education through scholarship through research began (Billings & Halstead, 2019). This effort became supported by the federal government for academic research and continued through and after World War II.  Billings and Halstead also state nursing education began to enter the university setting at this time. Leading the way to the two-year RN degree and the four-year BSN degree.  Nursing faculty began to seek tenure, and the nursing field became upheld to the same standards of research productivity as those of more traditionally based academic disciplines.  

While contemplating entering a doctoral program, I had asked other nurses what their thoughts on the subject were.  Many of them were against expanding a nursing degree beyond the four-year BSN. The most common reply was it just wasn't worth the time and effort economically. This factor is what helped to focus my topic, from nursing education to the issue of Barriers to Higher Education in Nursing.

Given the brief example above regarding nursing education, my interest lies among the lines of why nurses are not seeking higher levels of education.   Many nurses before us have fought for the right to have nursing recognized as an academic discipline equivalent to that of the hard sciences. I want to research what are the barriers which interfere with nurses obtaining a higher education within the nursing profession.

2.     What are nurses' views of barriers to higher education in nursing? 

3.      What are nurses' views of higher degrees in nursing? 

Nursing Education Barriers

Nursing Education Hurdles

Education

Nursing

Associate – standards

Computer-Assisted Instruction – standard

United States

Educational Status

Nurses – standards

Nursing Education Research - statistics & numerical data

Education, Nursing
Baccalaureate – standards

Accreditation – standards

Students

Nursing - statistics & numerical data

Admissions policies

Academic achievement

Distance learning

Licenses

Nursing administration

Nursing education hurdles

Higher education

Nursing licensure

Trends

College professors

Allar, D. T. (2014). Transition from Associate’s Degree in Nursing to Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (Publication No. 3615604) [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/pqdtglobal/docview/1524270190/fulltextPDF/F46CBBB10AC54B9BPQ/1?accountid=10559

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2019). DNP education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Nursing-Education-Programs/DNP-Education

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2019). Nursing fact sheet. https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Nursing-Fact-Sheet

Bell, C. (2017). Stressors experienced by Nursing Students enrolled in Baccalaureate second degree accelerated Registered Nursing Programs (Publication No. 10638223) [Doctoral dissertation, Capella University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/pqdtglobal/docview/1968626153/previewPDF/A111FB3FCCAE41E7PQ/1?accountid=10559

Billings & Halstead. (2019). Teaching in Nursing: A guide for faculty (6th ed.). Elsevier.

Cremeans, D. N. (2019). Challenge-hindrance stressor framework and work-family outcomes: The moderating effects of individual goal learning orientation (Publication No. 13897029) [Doctoral dissertation, University of West Florida]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/pqdtglobal/docview/2288064773/fulltextPDF/9C0EFBC7DEA04172PQ/1?accountid=10559

Gina. (2011). Perceived barriers influencing advancing education in RNs at a Magnet hospital [PDF]. https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/gtg6/files/final-research-paper.pdf

Kauffman, H. (2015). A review of predictive factors of student success in and satisfaction with online learning. Research In Learning Technology. https://journal.alt.ac.uk/index.php/rlt/article/view/1648

Loren, M. A., Berends, S. K., Reyes, J., Wycoff, C., Kinney, M., Frohling, A., Baker, L., Whitty, S., Dirks, M., & OʼBrien, M. (2017). Scope of practice barriers for advanced practice Registered Nurses. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 47(9), 465–469. https://doi.org/10.1097/nna.0000000000000515

McNamara, A. (2014). Scaling up to meet the IOM recommendations (80% BSN by 2020): Sustaining quality with growth. Nurse Leader, 12(5), 48–51.

National League for Nursing. (2020). Joint statement on academic progression for Nursing Students and Graduates. The Voice for Nursing Education. http://www.nln.org/newsroom/nln-position-documents/nln-statements/joint-statement-on-academic-progression-for-nursing-students-and-graduates

Peterson, N. E., Moss, K. O., Milbrath, G. R., Von Gaudecker, J. R., Park, E., & Chung, M. (2015). Qualitative analysis of student perceptions of Bachelor of Science-to-Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing programs. Journal of Nursing Education, 54(10), 542–549. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20150916-01

Pritchard, T. (2019). Advancing nursing education scholarship: A roadmap for faculty success. Journal of Nursing Education, 58(7), 379–380. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20190614-01

Racic, M., Pavlovic, J., Hadzivukovic, N., & Ivkovic, N. (2019). Perceptions, attitudes, and expectation of Baccalaureate Nurses toward position of Nursing in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 34(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.2767

Rosenberger, A. (2017). Nursing education trend committee [PDF]. National Council of State Boards of Nursing. https://www.ncsbn.org/2016_Nursing_Education_Trends_Committee_Report.pdf

Sabio, C., & Petges, N. (2020). Understanding the barriers to BSN education among ADN students: A qualitative study. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 15(1), 45–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2019.08.007

Winokur, E. J., Rutledge, D. N., & Hayes, A. (2016). Magnet® facility nurses: Pursuing a Baccalaureate degree in Nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 32(4), 283–291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2015.11.003

Wood, E. (2014). Mandatory BSN program launched in response to IOM recommendation. OR Manager. http://ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/docview/1695782871?accountid=10559

 BON - Boards of Nursing are jurisdictional governmental agencies that are responsible for the regulation of nursing practice.

 

BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which is a four-year educational nursing program in the united states.

 

IOM – Institute of Medicine, is a nonprofit organization that works outside of the government to provide an unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers the public.

 

MSN – Master’s degree in Nursing, is a master’s graduate level college nursing program.

 

RN – Registered Nurse, is a nurse who holds a nursing diploma or ADN and has passed the nurse licensure exam and has met all the other licensing requirements mandated by their state’s board of nursing.

 

US – United States, officially United States of America, abbreviated U.S. or U.S.A., byname America, country in North America, a federal republic of 50 states.