THE BACCALAUREATE DEGREE IN NURSING AS AN ENTRY-LEVEL REQUIREMENT FORPROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE

The education of professional nurses must take place in institutions o f higher learning with a bachelor of science in nursing degree require d for beginning professional practice. Nurses educated in these academ ic settings should be socialized as professionals with a philosophical and value system that is compatible with this role. This education sh ould be flexible, diverse, and directed toward providing the nurse wit h a solid base for general, professional nursing practice. Nursing as a profession is a social institution and must present itself as a stro ng, unified profession to survive the inevitable changes occurring on the health care front. By tracing the evolution of the entry-into-prac tice dilemma, a systems archetype and two mental models that currently drive nursing and jeopardize its potential to meet the demands of the emerging health care market are identified. The authors offer a high- leverage solution to the entry-into-practice dilemma that they believe will strengthen the nursing profession. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Sa unders Company.