The value of education in a licensed profession: the choice of associate or baccalaureate degrees in nursing

This paper assesses the relative value to employers and Registered Nurses ( RNs) of different types of basic education in nursing: the associate degree ; the baccalaureate degree; and the nursing diploma. Using the National Sam ple Surveys of Registered Nurses the determinants of nursing wages are eval uated with a Tobit model. After finding that RNs do not expect to gain (fin ancially) from obtaining the baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) the reas ons why a prospective nurse would pursue a BSN are explored. Non-wage caree r objectives and personal circumstances when education begins appear to be more important determinants of the choice of RN training than financial ret urns. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.