Legislators in New York are looking at the possibility of mandating new registered nurses earn bachelor's degrees within 10 years to keep working in the state, according to The Associated Press.
The effort is part of a nationwide drive to demand higher educational standards of people holding nursing jobs. It is supported by nursing associations and major health policy organizations and is focused on the potential problem of not having enough nurses trained to take care of the aging population.
"It simply means that if you graduate from a program like ours, within 10 years of graduation, they need to have earned a bachelor’s in nursing," assistant dean for admissions Rhonda Reader with St. Joseph's College of Nursing told the news service. "We don't think that's a bad thing. We think that's a great thing. It's naturally starting to happen without the legislation."
New Jersey and Rhode Island have seen initiatives similar to the one under consideration in New York.
Registered nurses typically pursue one of three educational routes: a bachelor's degree, an associate's degree or a diploma awarded by an approved nursing program, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.