DIFFERENTIATED LEVELS OF NURSING WORK-FORCE DEMAND

In addition to reviewing the literature about the extent to which basi c nursing education is related to actual nursing practice, this articl e investigates the extent to which the relationship between nursing pr actice, education, and experience varies across specific health care s ettings. The literature presented no consistent or systematic associat ion between type and amount of previous nursing experience and current nursing practice. However, the literature generally provided evidence of a consistent and systematic association between baccalaureate prep aration and level of registered nurse (RN) practice. The review of pra ctice and organizational differences across the hospital, nursing home , and ambulatory care sectors suggests that baccalaureate-prepared RNs in hospitals may have a more strongly differentiated role relative to those in nursing homes and ambulatory settings. If baccalaureate-prep ared nurses continue to be perceived as capable of more complex and in dependent practice, and if employers believe that they can increase re venues by increasing the quality of nursing care or can save money by shifting to RNs some responsibilities now held by more costly personne l (such as physicians), then demand for baccalaureate-prepared nurses may increase. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.