Page 368 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

NuRSING eDuCATION n 335

graduate-level leadership for the preparation Currently, there are three types of edu-
of nurse tutors, faculty, and administrators cational programs to prepare students for
(Dock, 1912). As early as 1915, the National licensure as registered nurses (RN): bacca- N
League of Nursing education called for the laureate degree (bachelor of science in nurs-
education of nurses at the university level. ing), associate degree (associate degree in
This was reinforced by the Committee for the nursing), and diploma programs. Bachelor of
Study of Nursing education in the Goldmark science in nursing programs, including accel-
(1923) report and other important reports on erated options for second-degree seekers, are
nursing education (Brown, 1948). Nursing currently offered at 765 schools in the united
education entered the university setting in States. On the graduate level, 495 master’s pro-
1923 with the establishment of programs at grams and 178 doctoral programs are avail-
yale university and at Case Western Reserve able nationwide. In 2009, there were 214,533
university, the first schools of nursing in the nursing students enrolled in bacca laureate
country to have an independent status among programs, 77,146 in master’s programs,
the schools and colleges of a university. These and 9,342 in doctoral programs (American
early developments led to nursing education Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN],
both as a training program controlled by the 2010a). As of 2010, there were more than 800
hospitals and an academic program within associate degree in nursing programs and
the university setting. only a small number of diploma programs
From the turn of the century until the operating in the united States (Bureau of
1960s, nursing leaders often obtained their Labor Statistic, 2010).
graduate preparation in schools of education. In 2009, there were 14,595 full-time fac-
Consequently, most major developments that ulty members in nursing programs offered
took place in schools of education were rather in 4-year colleges and universities. The fac-
quickly transferred to nursing curricula. The ulty members in these programs were 11.5%
influence of Ralph Tyler at the university of minority and 5.1% male (AACN, 2010b).
Chicago had a major impact on nursing edu- As of 2008, there were 3,063,162 RNs
cation. His emphasis on learner objectives in the united States, and these nurses
and curricular structure is still evident, but in were 93.8% female and 83.2% White (non-
the 1980s, there was a renewed focus on the Hispanic), and 84.8% were employed in
nursing curriculum as a humanistic endeavor, nursing (Health Resources and Services
where “caring” and not behavioral objectives Administration, 2010). Their level of educa-
formed the core of the content (Watson, 1988). tion is as follows: 13.9% diploma, 36.1% asso-
Licensure is required to practice nursing ciate degree, 36.8% baccalaureate, and 13.2%
in each state. until 1944, each state board of master’s or doctoral degree (HRSA, 2010).
nursing developed its own testing mecha- Nursing has many professional organi-
nism to license nurses. Today, the National zations, and even with this complexity, it has
Council of State Boards of Nursing has juris- successfully developed a unified position in
diction throughout the united States and dealing with federal issues that affect nurs-
its territories. The National Council of State ing education and patient care. The vehicle
Boards of Nursing sets standards for require- for cooperation is the Tri-Council, made up
ments and regulations for schools of nurs- of representatives from four major nurs-
ing and licensure of new graduates, but the ing organizations: the American Nurses
authority for requirements and regulations Association, the American Organization of
rests at the state level. All states have agreed Nurse executives, the National League for
to use the same licensing examination to Nursing, and the AACN. The AACN, head-
facilitate the mobility of the nursing work- quartered in Washington, DC, is an orga-
force in the united States. nization composed of collegiate schools of