AACN Recognizes the American Organization of Nurse Executives
with the 2005 BSN Champion Award
WASHINGTON, DC, September 28, 2005 –
The Board of Directors of the American Association of
Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is pleased to announce that
the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) has
been selected to receive the 2005 BSN Champion Award.
The AACN Board created this new honor to recognize organizations
and practice settings that place a high value on preparing
nurses in Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree
programs. AONE, the national organization for nurse executives
in the practice arena, was selected after releasing a
statement in April 2005 which advocates the baccalaureate
degree as the appropriate preparation for nurses and calls
for working collaboratively with educators to prepare
all registered nurses (RNs) in bachelor’s degree
programs.
“Nurse executives clearly understand
the link between baccalaureate nursing education and quality
patient care,” said AACN President Jean E. Bartels.
“AONE’s visionary statement in support of the
BSN echoes the calls from government authorities, national
nursing organizations, health care foundations, Magnet
hospitals, and minority nurse advocacy groups for a more
highly educated nursing workforce.”
AONE’s statement, titled Practice
and Education Partnership for the Future, calls for
registered nurses to be educated in baccalaureate programs
in an effort to adequately prepare clinicians for their
challenging and complex roles. AACN concurs with this
assessment and has been a strong advocate for improving
patient care through education. Nurses with BSN degrees
are well-prepared to meet the demands placed on today's
nurse across a variety of settings and are prized for
their critical thinking, leadership, case management,
and health promotion skills. These clinicians receive
an additional layer of education which enhances their
professional development, prepares them for a broader
scope of practice, and leads to a better understanding
of the cultural, political, economic, and social issues
that affect patients and influence care delivery.
Currently, only 43 percent of the RN workforce possesses
baccalaureate or graduate degrees, with the remaining
nurses prepared in associate degree (34 percent) or diploma
programs (22 percent). Efforts to enhance the education
level of the nursing population are hampered by the fact
that very few nurses prepared in associate degree programs
continue their education once they begin working. According
to the latest survey conducted by the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, only 16 percent of associate
degree-prepared nurses obtain post-RN nursing or nursing
related degrees.
“AACN stands ready to work with our colleagues from
diploma and associate degree nursing programs to move
their graduates to the next level,” added Dr. Bartels.
“With hundreds of online degree completion programs
in place as well as articulation agreements between programs
in almost every state, the nation’s nursing schools
are well prepared to facilitate the movement toward a
BSN-prepared workforce.”
AACN will present the 2005 BSN Champion
Award to AONE President Marilyn A. Bowcutt at its Fall
Semiannual Meeting on Sunday, October 23 at 5pm. Read
AONE’s statement
in support of baccalaureate nursing education.
For information on AACN’s work to advance
the education level of the registered nursing workforce,
see the following documents:
