RN to BSN

Educating patients on tactics and treatments to support their best health can be almost as rewarding as watching them follow your recommendations to facilitate healing.

However, nurses must be prepared to treat those who come from a belief system or cultural background that does not readily embrace standard treatment suggestions. Studying transcultural nursing theory prepares nurses for the challenges they may face while treating a diverse population.

Learn more about the UMFK online RN to BSN program.

Madeleine Leininger: Founder of Transcultural Nursing Theory

Madeleine Leininger is credited with developing transcultural nursing theory, also called culture care theory. Nurse Labs notes that she coined the term “culturally congruent care” in the 1960s. Her immersion in other cultures helped her develop an understanding of and success with treating different populations.

Leininger discovered that nurses needed a better understanding of patients’ cultures to best administer care to them. Patients are more likely to follow recommendations for health and healing when their caregivers understand and respect their cultural norms.

In 1974, Leininger created the Transcultural Nursing Program at the University of Washington School of Nursing after recognizing the need for nurses to understand the culture of patients from different backgrounds. Today, transcultural nursing concepts are taught at universities nationwide.

The Essence of Transcultural Nursing

Health practices are as varied as the cultures they inhabit. Current Nursing provides a few common cultural practices that nurses may encounter. Some healing practices incorporate protective objects like amulets or crystals to foster health and prevent illness. Others use food as a preventive measure or cure for the disease, like eating chicken soup to fight a cold. Religious practices may involve chants, prayers, candles, or herbs to clear away the malady. Tribes may have a healer to perform ceremonies believed to promote health. Such practices must be considered when developing individual treatment plans.

Comprehending how families, groups, and communities care for one another can inform nurses about achieving the best outcomes when treating patients from diverse backgrounds. This is the basis of transcultural nursing. Culture develops over generations and is difficult to fully penetrate as an outsider, which is why nurses need to learn about cultural care.

Awareness and comprehension of a group’s practices are helpful before patient treatment to better establish communication and trust. Indigenous and folk-based knowledge can be harnessed to assist in patient treatment when those traditions are known and honored. Understanding a patient’s culture allows the nurse to guide treatment while respecting that patient’s traditions and worldview. This improves patient outcomes and compliance from those under their care.

Recognizing the similarities and differences between one’s own culture and that of another helps one grasp why some cultural practices hold significance. Culturally congruent care accommodates patients’ life patterns instead of sticking to rote practices.

Nursing in a Diverse World

The interconnectedness of the modern world requires an appreciation and understanding of other religions, customs, and beliefs, especially in administering healthcare, as affirmed by RegisteredNursing.org. The melting pot that is America is rich with diversity. As a result, nurses are nearly guaranteed to treat patients from cultural backgrounds different from their own. American Nurse Today states that diversity and inclusion are critical considerations in transcultural care.

Transcultural nurses benefit from familiarity with several different cultures, especially those with high representation in their community. Getting to know the local customs helps nurses provide appropriate treatments. This also means adjusting care to work with individual patients’ belief systems and practices instead of working in conflict and risking non-compliance or worsening of health.

Nurses who practice transcultural care bridge modern care with the patient’s heritage, striving to comprehend the patient’s attitudes and concerns for the health condition presented. Establishing a sense of trust with diverse communities is imperative to successfully treating these patients.

Transcultural nurses may find opportunities to practice care in other parts of the world, with urban and rural areas offering a varied and interesting population in need of treatment. Working with migrants, refugees, and immigrants locally is an opportunity to integrate treatment with traditions.

The University of Maine at Fort Kent offers the Transcultural Care in Nursing class. This course educates students on how to apply their evidence-based training in culturally sensitive ways. Students learn how to provide effective care to diverse populations, keeping that group’s beliefs and values in mind.

Learning more about the diverse groups you will treat in your nursing career can improve patient outcomes and enrich your appreciation of others and their cultural healing practices.

Learn more about the UMFK online RN to BSN program.

Sources:

• Nurselabs: Madeleine Leininger: Transcultural Nursing Theory
• Nursing Theories: Transcultural Nursing
• RegisteredNursing.org: Transcultural Nurse
• American Nurse Today: Making a Difference for Patients Through Culturally Congruent Care

Every career-minded individual craves a balance between professional advancement and personal pleasure. While the definition of balance is unique to each person, the demands of a nursing career can make it challenging to succeed in all areas of life.

Work-life balance is the harmony of personal and professional. So much of one’s career involves the challenge of achieving work success while enjoying the fruits of one’s labor. Working Nurse recommends cultivating self-knowledge and self-discipline to strike the balance. Understanding your own needs and creating guidelines for yourself can set you on the right path.

Under Pressure: Nurses’ Need for Balance

ITA Group notes that the national average for nurse turnover is 17.7% annually. Many things contribute to this turnover, including patient woes, burnout, and personal difficulties.

Nurses are compassionate, with a strong drive to help others. These qualities lead to excellent patient care but also make nurses susceptible to distress when patients are not improving. Patient concerns don’t go away when nurses go home for the day, per American Nurse Today.

Striving for perfection and remaining hopeful can pose challenges as well. Added to nurses’ desire to care for all the people in their lives, this helpful nature can be a significant cause of self-imposed stress.

A nursing career has unique challenges. Patients need care around the clock, so schedules can be tricky. The work requires dexterity and problem-solving ability — both can be physically and emotionally demanding.

Workplace stresses often involve staffing, inter-organizational conflicts, and expectations. Long hours, coupled with continual physical and mental stress, are a recipe for burnout. Exhaustion, frustration, disagreements, and illness can result.

Life stressors, changing goals, and limited time can create tension. It is tough to make career advancements when there are difficulties at home, and one’s home life can suffer when there are struggles at work.

Achieving Balance: Consider Yourself

Focusing on personal needs doesn’t always come easily for caregivers. According to HealthStream, decompression is vital. Consider bonding with fellow nurses after work to gain the support and understanding of others who fully comprehend the demands of the job.

Another wise tactic is to be good to yourself. Take time to relax. Meditation, prayer, yoga, or a fitness class can help you focus on the present. A creative outlet like journaling or painting may also do you some good.

It’s possible to balance work and life by planning, choosing, and readjusting. While it may be difficult, you can organize your life to prioritize things that make you happy or provide respite from the demands of your job.

Improve work-life balance by accepting what you can’t change and addressing the frustration you feel because you can’t change them. Become curious and empathetic toward others when there is conflict. You may learn something that will deepen your understanding.

Ultimately, individual nurses must take control of their time and priorities to achieve work-life balance. Recognizing challenges and making time for yourself makes for a happier, healthier life.

Learn more about the UMFK online RN to BSN program.

Sources:

• Working Nurse: Work & Life Balance: A Nurse’s Impossible Dream
• ITA Group: 7 Things That Cause Nurse Turnover (and 8 Things That Stop It)
• American Nurse Today: Achieving a Work-Life Balance
• HealthStream: Work-Life Balance in a Nursing Career

Health promotion is a powerful tool that creates a positive, lasting impact on patients’ lives. Health promotion educates patients on how to boost wellness through simple practices they can incorporate into daily life.

Through three basic strategies and five promotion action areas, you can help your patients live their best, most healthy lives.

3 Basic Strategies

There are three basic health promotion strategies per Rural Health Information Hub: health communication; health education; and policy, systems, and environmental change.

• Health communication helps people better understand health needs, equipping them for important individual health decisions. Taking verbal and written forms, health communication encourages healthful activities and improves health literacy. It also bridges understanding with cultural considerations about health. Flu vaccination posters, health screening brochures, and discussions with patients about heart disease are all health communications.
• Health education teaches people about different health conditions to bolster prevention or early treatment. These learning sessions are often focused on target populations. For example, poorer neighborhoods may be candidates for nutrition and physical activity lessons to prevent or combat Type 2 diabetes.
• Policy, systems, and environmental change (PSEs) round out the basic health promotion strategies. Policy change would include smoke-free entryways and safety equipment in the workplace. Systems change deals with the use of innovations, technologies, or certifications to change how health problems are solved. Environmental change works to solve population health challenges with more parks and nutritious food availability.

Nurses can work with these basic strategies to promote health within the communities they treat.

5 Key Action Areas for Health Promotion

Health Promotion International lays out five key action areas for health promotion:

1. Reorient health services. This works to improve the entire population’s health and allow everyone to access health resources, whether sick or well.
2. Create a supportive environment. Surroundings that support health make it easier to achieve optimal wellness. The goal is to foster an environment that physically and socially assists in health success. Eliminating harmful practices is also part of creating a supportive space.
3. Develop personal skills. People have to understand pertinent health information to take the necessary steps to improve their own health. By knowing what could cause illness, individuals can proactively monitor and support their wellness.
4. Strengthen community action. People living in the same area or with the same health concerns can bond together to advocate for policy changes and the development of new programs.
5. Building healthy public policy. Activities funded or conducted by the government can increase awareness and provide resources and education to help people take control of their personal health.

Health promotion aims to empower patients to make health-positive choices and actions. Nurses are uniquely located in the healthcare system to contribute to health promotion, given their one-on-one contact with patients. Ultimately, everyone benefits.

Learn more about the UMFK online RN to BSN program.

Sources:

• Rural Health Information Hub: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Strategies
• Rural Health Information Hub: Health Communication
• Rural Health Information Hub: Health Education
• Rural Health Information Hub: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change
• Health Promotion International: Applying the Ottawa Charter to Inform Health Promotion Programme Design

The popularity of nursing is on the rise. Broad and varied job opportunities, competitive salaries, and the opportunity to help others are all attractive aspects of nursing. Despite the appeal of a nursing degree, there is a shortage of nurses in the United States. This shortage negatively impacts nurses, patients, and healthcare organizations. This calls for prompt action to increase the nursing population.

The Current Nursing Shortage

Like the populations in almost every state, the nationwide nursing shortage affects the citizens of Maine.

For starters, many members of the nursing profession are nearing retirement age. The Center for Health Affairs reports that 30 to 50% of registered nurses are above age 55, according to Bangor Daily News. While the graduating rate for nurses is on the rise, it is offset by the large population of nurses who are retiring or are close to retirement.

The good news is that enrollment in nursing programs is on the upswing, and the projected shortage has recently decreased. But even with more registered nurses joining the ranks, the Maine Nursing Action Coalition projects that the state will be short 2,700 nurses in 2025.

Maine’s schools of nursing have been working to solve the issue by increasing the number of graduates – from about 650 new graduates to 800 graduates from 2015 to 2018. However, the lack of faculty and nursing labs still presents a challenge. In fact, qualified candidates have been rejected because the resources weren’t available to train them. Without the means to prepare more nursing students, meeting the need for nurses will continue to be difficult.

Another facet of the problem is the increased demand for health services. Growing numbers of insured patients and a better understanding of preventive care have resulted in more patients seeking treatment. Supplemental Health Care notes that the increased demand for nurses will account for roughly 40% of nurses needed in 2024.

When There Aren’t Enough Nurses

The growing lack of nurses significantly impacts nurse well-being, patient outcomes, and hospital bottom lines. The need for a remedy is as urgent as it is apparent.

The nursing shortage has led to longer shifts and higher patient-to-nurse ratios. Not only does this undermine the quality of patient care — it can also cause fatigue, injury, and stress. All of these factors contribute to nurse burnout.

Patient Safety Network remarks that nurses often catch early indicators of complications, stopping deteriorating health conditions and helping save lives. Since nurses spend a great deal of time with patients and interface with other care team members, they are vital to successful patient care. BMJ Journals recognizes that high patient-to-nurse ratios have a direct impact on hospital readmissions.

One of the long-term effects of understaffing is the issue of nurse departures caused by the heavy workload and resultant stress. Not only does this exacerbate the nursing shortage, but it causes other problems. For instance, nurse turnover is expensive for hospitals. Turnover cost per nurse is over $44,000, which adds up in hospitals whose average is above 16% turnover annually, notes a Supplemental Health Care blog.

Boosting the Nurse Population

While technical training should not be compromised, measures can be taken to make nursing degrees more accessible. If a lack of faculty and campus facilities is driving the rejection of qualified nursing students, other educational approaches can open the floodgates for training. Class attendance via Skype and placement in regional hospitals are just two possible means to help graduate more students despite current limitations.

Training programs and nurse staffing recruiters may benefit from expanding their reach. Targeting new demographic groups can help nurture more would-be nurses. For instance, minorities and foreign-born students are underutilized resources with the potential to be great nurses. Outreach to these communities would be a wise investment in the future.

Avant suggests incentivizing nursing studies. Signing bonuses, tuition reimbursements, and scholarships boost the appeal of a nursing degree. Making education more affordable and assisting in job placement will make a nursing career more attainable and appealing for those who need a little push.

Recruitment from other states may also be necessary to satisfy the demand for nurses in Maine. Relocation from out of state to begin a lucrative and satisfying career in nursing holds appeal for some potential recruits.

The nursing shortage requires a multifaceted, proactive response to keep pace with staffing demands and patient needs both in the immediate and foreseeable future. The solutions are out there — all that is required is the will and determination to meet and overcome the challenges. Better health outcomes for patients, more affordable healthcare, and increased job satisfaction await.

Learn more about the UMFK online RN to BSN program.

Sources:

• Bangor Daily News: Maine Is Graduating More Nurses
• Supplemental Health Care: Nursing Shortage Impact on the Healthcare Industry
• Patient Safety Network: Nursing and Patient Safety
• BMJ Journals: An Observational Study of Nurse Staffing Ratios and Hospital Readmission Among Children Admitted for Common Conditions
• Avant Healthcare Professionals: Solutions to the Nursing Shortage for Chief Nursing Officers in 2019

Every career requires efficient communication. However, nursing careers demand more than the ability to run a meeting. Nurses work with patients and are often a resource and advocate for those under their care. They interact with physicians and other nurses, and patient health is on the line.

Nurses need tools to communicate effectively since they directly impact patient care.

Partners in Communication

The quality of nurse communication affects patients, other care team members, and administration. The importance of this communication requires it to be as effective as possible.

Patient safety and care are dependent on nurses communicating about treatment concerns. For example, a nurse can use communication to preempt a preventable error by a colleague or physician. U.S. News & World Report points out that nurses aren’t accustomed to speaking up due to concerns of creating conflict. Some of this is due to differing power dynamics. However, communication could protect patients.

Patients may require round-the-clock care, which means care occurs in shifts. Handoffs from one caregiver to another allow room for misinterpretation of information or omission of essential data. Having clear instructions and a mindful handoff keep patient care consistent and safe.

Plus, nurses need to be able to communicate with patients. Collecting all relevant information to aid in proper diagnosis and treatment can prevent mistakes and speed recovery. Providing clear care instructions to patients and families improves outcomes.

Methods of Communication

The nurse will employ three basic communication methods: verbal, nonverbal, and written.

Verbal communication is speaking to others. While this may seem fairly straightforward, you must be mindful of tone. The way you talk to people should be professional yet empathetic. Choose your words wisely.

Nonverbal communication refers to your body language and facial expressions. Be aware of your body language. Nurse Choice advises keeping your arms uncrossed and making eye contact. Maintain a pleasant but appropriate expression to show you’re open and ready to listen.

Written communications need to be clear. Write in complete sentences and only use well-known abbreviations and jargon that cannot be misinterpreted. Keep in mind that nurse-to-nurse communications often take the form of reports, which may have patient health and legal ramifications.

Nurse Communication Tips

• Get friendly. When speaking with co-workers or patients, Ausmed suggests indulging in some ice-breaking chitchat on a topic that is not emotionally charged. This gives you the opportunity to connect with co-workers and patients. You want to position yourself as a friendly face who is there to help.
• Ease their fears. Recognize that people responding to you with a great deal of emotion are communicating from a place of fear. You are uniquely positioned to hear them out and respond with kindness, caring, and understanding. That patient’s angry family member is most likely worried more about their loved one’s present health than anything else.
• Listen carefully. When engaging with patients and peers, listen carefully. Ask questions if you don’t understand or need more information. If a patient says something that sends a red flag, politely ask them to explain further. Silence is okay as patients overcome their fears to give you relevant details that could assist in their treatment.
• Speak up and be clear. If you see something, say something. Communicate with respect while putting patient safety first. There can also be issues with bullying or hazing in a medical setting, particularly between seasoned staff and newer people. There is no place for this behavior in a professional environment.
• Exhibit tech etiquette. You’re likely to have your cell phone on you during shifts. Follow good etiquette by keeping your phone silent and in your pocket. Excuse yourself if you have to take an urgent call. Don’t lose focus on your patients because of tech distractions.
• Keep patient information clear and concise. Cover key information in your reports and when handing off patients. Make sure the person receiving the patient understands any verbal instructions. Your handwriting should be legible for any written instructions. Double-check what you’ve written or typed to make sure it is clear. Document each time you visit a patient, along with all instructions and medications administered.

Everyone can improve their communication skills. With mindfulness and practice, you can improve your communication with patients, peers, and administration. Strive to be a better communicator every day and see how it improves patient outcomes and your workplace.

Learn more about the UMFK online RN to BSN program.

Sources:

• U.S. News & World Report: How Communications Issues Between Doctors and Nurses Can Affect Your Health
• Nurse Choice: 10 Essential Nurse Communication Skills for Success
• Ausmed: Communication Skills

Wherever healthcare services are being delivered, there is likely to be a nurse. Registered nurses (RNs) make up the largest segment of all healthcare professions. They also provide the majority of patient care, making them a force for improving healthcare quality. Implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) is widely seen as the way to get there.

Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) can be a game-changer when it comes to employing an evidence-based approach in nursing practice. Associate degree nursing programs typically focus on clinical skills. RN to BSN programs build on that clinical expertise to develop a strong foundation for EBP.

For example, the RN to BSN program at the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) includes coursework that helps students build EBP competencies. Lack of experience in the research process is a common barrier to the use of EBP, and the course Health-Related Research addresses this need.

What Is Evidence-Based Practice?

An online search turns up many variations on the definition of “evidence-based practice.” One way to understand EBP is to look at what it is not. Nurses are not alone in sometimes making decisions based on a culture of This is how we have always done it. However, healthcare is constantly changing, and RNs need to keep their practice current.

This is where EBP comes in. EBP is about inquiry. As Susan B Fowler, PhD, RN, CNRN notes in “How to Conduct an Evidence-Based Practice Investigation (https://www.americannursetoday.com/how-to-conduct-an-evidence-based-practice-investigation),” “Nurses who value EBP ask questions, exhibit curiosity, and wonder continually if there’s a better way to provide patient care.”

In nursing, making the right care decision may mean doing away with how things have always been done. Just think about how salicylates such as aspirin were once routinely recommended to control a child’s fever. Based on evidence linking aspirin with Reye’s Syndrome, this is no longer standard practice.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) describes EBP as using the “current best evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patient.”

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) — now the National Academy of Medicine — adds a patient-centered approach: “Evidence-based practice is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values.”

This approach to EBP supports the IOM’s Aims for Improvement, which include “ensuring that patient values guide clinical decisions.”

Why Is EBP Important?

The IOM’s 1999 report, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System, found that nearly 100,000 people were dying in any given year as a result of medical errors that occurred in hospitals. “More people were dying from medical errors than from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS.”

The first Quality Chasm report to follow recommended a plan to redesign healthcare. Employing EBP was a key recommendation. The IOM set a goal that by 2020, 90% of clinical decisions would reflect the best available evidence.

The goal of EBP is to standardize care. Care is based on current scientific evidence, regardless of who provides the care or where it is being delivered. According to Reflections on Nursing Leadership, EBP is a key factor in meeting the Triple Aim in healthcare:

• Improving the patient experience
• Improving the health of populations
• Reducing the cost of healthcare

By empowering RNs in their work, taking an evidence-based approach to nursing practice may also increase job satisfaction.

How Can Earning a BSN Help?

Hospitals are the largest employer of RNs. One reason that more hospitals prefer or require BSN-prepared nurses is that higher levels of education are linked to better patient outcomes. BSN graduates are well-prepared to provide patient-centered care with an emphasis on EBP.

Research backs up the value of a BSN as preparation for evidence-based care:

• A recent study showed a growing gap in preparedness between BSN and Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) graduates. BSNs reported being significantly better prepared than ADNs on 12 of 16 quality and safety competencies, including EBP. Notably, the authors concluded that “requiring the BSN for RNs could help safeguard the quality of patient care.”
• A study of nurse educators looked at differences between outcomes met in ADN and BSN programs. The study found that only 42 of 109 BSN outcomes were met in ADN programs. The 67 unmet outcomes in associate nursing programs included EBP competencies.

UMFK’s RN to BSN program develops essential learning outcomes in EBP. Students learn to apply evidence to clinical decision-making by:

• Identifying and evaluating current evidence
• Considering clinical expertise
• Taking patients’ preferences, experiences, and values into account
• Nurses are everywhere healthcare is provided — not just in hospitals, but in nursing homes, primary care clinics, walk-in clinics, private practices, schools, home health care, hospice care, military installations, and more. Based on numbers alone, RNs have an opportunity to take the lead in improving the quality of patient care.

Patient care has always been the nursing profession’s priority. As part of their commitment to patients, nurses have an ethical obligation to engage in “evidence-informed practice.” Completing an RN to BSN program is an important step in developing the skills, knowledge, and confidence RNs need to meet this professional expectation.

Learn more about the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s online RN to BSN program.

Sources:

• American Nurse Today: How to Conduct an Evidence-Based Practice Investigation
• Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century: Applying Evidence to Health Care Delivery
• NCBI: Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses
• NCBI: To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System
• Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century: Formulating New Rules to Redesign and Improve Care
• Reflections on Nursing Leadership: Improving Healthcare Quality, Patient Outcomes, and Costs With Evidence-Based Practice
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing: The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice
• NCBI: Bachelor’s Degree Nurse Graduates Report Better Quality and Safety Educational Preparedness Than Associate Degree Graduates

For the past 17 years, nurses have earned the top spot in a Gallup poll of the most honest and ethical professions. In the latest poll, nurses came out well ahead of medical doctors, pharmacists, teachers, police officers, and more than a dozen other professions.

Clearly, ethics is essential to the nursing profession. The Code of Ethics for Nurses establishes a “non-negotiable” ethical standard for the profession. Yet, not all RNs receive ethics education in their nursing programs.

Earning a BSN can help fill this gap in education. For example, the online RN to BSN program from the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) includes coursework that emphasizes ethical and legal issues in the context of nursing and healthcare practice.

What Is Ethics in Nursing?

Ethics might sound simple on the surface: Either something is good or bad, right or wrong. An honorable person acts accordingly, based on what is moral or just.

But in nursing, ethics is anything but simple. The 48-page “Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements” is evidence of the complexity of ethical decision-making in nursing — and just how vital ethics education is.

Nurses make up the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, and they spend more time with patients than most other healthcare professionals. It is no wonder, then, that ethical concerns make their way into everyday nursing practice.

End-of-life issues are a common source of ethical concern in nursing. Other examples include allocating scarce resources, such as donor organs, prenatal testing, and medication administration (such as when a patient refuses treatment).

An aging population is adding to ethical dilemmas in clinical practice. Orthopaedic Nursing shares the example of a patient with preexisting comorbid conditions. A surgeon has ordered a test that the patient has refused. Does the nurse follow the orders without the patient’s consent? Obviously, it’s not such an easy call to make.

Why Is Ethics Education Important?

As much as ethics is an integral part of nursing care, ethics education is not a given in nursing school. For example, associate-level nursing programs place an emphasis on clinical skills. While BSN programs develop the critical-thinking skills required for ethical decision-making, the core nursing curriculum may not always include specific coursework in healthcare ethics.

The authors of “Ethics Education in Nursing: Instruction for Future Generations of Nurses” point out that ethics education in nursing provides a “critical foundation addressing ethical questions that arise in the patient-provider relationship.” Yet, research on ethics education in nursing shows that there are inconsistencies in standards for ethics education:

• Approximately 22.7% of nurses reported no ethics education.
• Just over half of nurses had ethics coursework in their nursing program.

Not surprisingly, nurses with ethics education had higher levels of confidence than those without and were more likely to take moral action.

In the latest Gallup poll, nearly 85% of Americans rated nurses’ honesty and ethical standards as “very high” or “high.” Medical doctors came in right behind, at 67%. No doubt, nurses play an essential role in ensuring patient care meets ethical standards.

But with healthcare becoming increasingly complex, RNs have a lot to keep up with. Ethics courses, such as UMFK’s Health Care Ethics and the Law, can give RNs the higher level skills and ethics knowledge they need to recognize ethical dilemmas and address them with confidence.

Learn more about the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s online RN to BSN program.

Sources:

• Gallup: Nurses Again Outpace Other Professions for Honesty, Ethics
• American Nurses Association: Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretive Statements
• Orthopaedic Nursing: “Everyday Ethics” in the Care of Hospitalized Older Adults
• The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing: Ethics Education in Nursing: Instruction for Future Generations of Nurses

Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) may be one of the smartest moves a registered nurse (RN) can make. From a salary standpoint alone, investing in an RN to BSN program now can pay off long term with higher-level positions and salaries to match.

When you consider the convenience and affordability of the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) online RN to BSN program, it makes sense to get started sooner rather than later.

How Does UMFK Keep Costs Down?

Cost is a consideration when looking at any RN to BSN program. According to Nurse Journal, the cost of a four-year BSN can run as high as $104,000. Online RN to BSN programs typically cost much less — $25,000 to $80,000, according to Best Colleges Online.

RNs working in the New England area will find a significantly better value with UMFK’s 100% online RN to BSN program. This program features pay-as-you-go tuition at just $309 per credit hour, bringing the total cost of tuition to $9,270 for core nursing courses.

More cost savings are associated with choosing online RN to BSN programs such as UMFK’s. For example, online programs eliminate the stress and expense of commuting to and from campus for classes. This can free up a surprising amount of time, making balancing work, school, and life easier.

What If Additional Coursework Is Required?

Students enrolled in UMFK’s RN to BSN program may be able to apply their previous education and experience to meet their BSN requirements. As a result, RNs can earn their degrees in much less time and at a much lower cost than students in traditional four-year programs.

Here is a look at how students can complete UMFK’s total RN to BSN program requirement of 120 credit hours:

• The core nursing curriculum is made up of 10 courses totaling 30 credit hours.
• 69 credit hours are applied as a block transfer for core nursing competencies and general education courses completed previously. Computer Science, English Composition, and Anatomy and Physiology are a few examples.
• 21 hours of general education are required for a BSN. Examples include Information Fluency, Foreign Language, and Art/Music. UMFK reviews students’ transcripts to see if previously taken courses meet this requirement.

Some students may need additional general education courses to meet the total of 120 hours. These are included in students’ degree plans, along with any electives students may need to graduate. Electives such as Pharmacology, Concepts in Pathophysiology, and Global Health and Humanitarianism will only expand students’ skills. In each case, these courses are still just $309 per credit hour.

Hospitals are the largest employer of RNs, with more and more job descriptions stating “BSN preferred” or “BSN only.” Chances are good that the preference for BSNs is here to stay.

• In 2005, the American Organization of Nurse Executives called for RNs to be educated in baccalaureate programs.
• The Institute of Medicine (IOM) — now the National Academy of Medicine — called for 80% of RNs to have a BSN by 2020.
• The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) recognizes the BSN as the minimum educational preparation for RNs.

UMFK’s affordable RN to BSN is an excellent reason for RNs in the New England area to get started now.

Learn more about the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s online RN to BSN program.

Sources:

• Nurse Journal: Guide to Become a Registered Nurse
• Best Colleges: How Much Does the Most Affordable Online RN to BSN Cost?
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing: The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice
• Institute of Medicine: The Future of Nursing
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing: The Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing as Minimal Preparation for Professional Practice

This article was last updated on December 16, 2019.

An associate degree in nursing (ADN) has been a common educational path for aspiring RNs for decades. In about two years, these programs prepare graduates for licensure and a nursing career. So, why are more ADNs heading back to school for their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)? Improved patient outcomes is one reason. There are other notable benefits as well.

Online RN to BSN programs can make it more affordable and convenient for RNs to take this step. The University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK), for example, offers an accredited online RN to BSN that students can complete in 10 months. For RNs who want to keep up, now is the time to go from an ADN to a BSN.

Why the Push to Earn a BSN?

The call for RNs to earn their BSN is front and center in today’s complex healthcare environment. But it is not new. In 2005, the American Organization of Nurse Executives called for RNs to be educated in baccalaureate programs.

Today, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) recognizes the BSN as the entry-level requirement for professional nursing practice. Here is the difference a BSN can make:

• Stronger Skill Set: A recent study examined the education gap between ADNs and BSNs. It found that a much higher percentage of BSNs than ADNs reported being “very prepared” in 12 of 16 key topics, including evidence-based practice and patient-centered care.
• Improved Patient Outcomes: Research links BSNs to better patient care. The AACN summarized findings that include lower patient mortality, lower readmission rates, lower costs, and shorter lengths of stay.
• Higher Earnings: As of November 2019, PayScale reported that RNs with a BSN were earning over $19,000 more than RNs.
• Career Advancement: Earning a BSN improves job prospects, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hospitals are the largest employers of RNs, and many require or prefer BSN-prepared nurses. From a job-security standpoint alone, a BSN is a smart move. A BSN also prepares nurses with the higher-level skills they need to advance to leadership roles, which typically pay more.

Evidence of the growing preference for BSNs is seen in the following healthcare systems:

• RNs seeking employment with the Veterans Administration (VA), the nation’s largest employer of RNs, will need to earn a BSN to advance beyond entry-level positions.
• RNs who want to work at a Magnet hospital will want to earn a BSN sooner rather than later. Nearly 50% of RNs at Magnet hospitals have their BSN, and a BSN is required for some positions.

How Can an Online RN to BSN Program Help?

Online RN to BSN programs help working nurses overcome common obstacles to earning a BSN. Finding time to return to school is a common concern. Unlike traditional, campus-based programs, RNs decide for themselves when and where to complete assignments. Additional advantages include:

• Online programs can be a cost-effective choice. UMFK tuition is an affordable $309 per credit hour. Paying by the course rather than the semester can also be easier to manage.
• Multiple start dates accommodate busy schedules.
• RN to BSN programs build on RNs’ clinical experience. This can accelerate the time it takes to earn a BSN.

Striving for excellence is an ethical ideal of the nursing profession. Pursuing higher levels of education is one of the ways RNs can meet this obligation. With a BSN becoming the standard in today’s nursing workforce, now is the time for ADNs to make the move to advance their education and their practice.

Learn more about the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s online RN to BSN program.

Sources:

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing: Fact Sheet: The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing: The Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing as Minimal Preparation for Professional Practice
• The Joint Commission Journal of Quality and Patient Safety: Bachelor’s Degree Nurse Graduates Report Better Quality and Safety Educational Preparedness Than Associate Degree Graduates
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing: The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice
• PayScale: Average Registered Nurse (RN) Hourly Pay
• PayScale: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Registered Nurses – Job Outlook
• Nurse.org: Should I Work for a Magnet Hospital?
• American Nurses Association: Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretive Statements