Breakthrough to Baccalaureate Initiative: Increasing Access and Capacity
Purpose: To describe our efforts in Utah to achieve the Institute of Medicine recommendation that 80% of the RN workforce have at least a baccalaureate degree by the year 2020. This presentation will describe the ground work, readiness assessment and key strategic steps in moving to increase the number of baccalaureate prepared nurses in the larger health care delivery system and nurse employer in the state.
Background: Intermountain Healthcare is a twenty-three hospital system with over 8,000 nurses. Approximately 50% of the RNs have a BSN or higher degree. Over 3,000 of bedside nurses or direct care nurses have an associate degree in nursing. Over the past two years Intermountain has partnered with the Utah Action Coalition for Health (UACH) to lead the state in our efforts to increase the educational level of nurses. Our goal is to increase access and remove the real and perceived barriers to nurses being able to return to school to complete their baccalaureate education.
Brief description: We will describe the process used in assessing organizational readiness and building support for this major intuitive. The approach and methods employed included: 1) collaborating with the schools of nursing to form student cohort and create more accessible and flexible RN to BSN programs, 2) holding dialogue sessions with organizational leaders to gain buy-in and support for increased tuition reimbursement and 3) strategically planning a grassroots information and marketing campaign to inform, motivate and support nurses in their efforts to return to school for their BSN degree.
Outcomes: The achievements to date have been achieved through a high degree of statewide collaboration and organizational readiness. A new policy has been approved that requires newly hired RNs achieve a BSN in Nursing in 5 years from hire date. Current Non BSN prepared RNs will be grandfathered in their current level of position and provided information and support regarding BSN completion programs. Key messages for the “Breakthrough to Baccalaureate” campaign have been developed, based on focus groups representing the 3,000 RNs that are non BSN prepared. A survey is also being conducted to find out education and career plans of these nurses.
Conclusion: When challenged with increasing the number of baccalaureate prepared nurses in your state we have several lessons learned and implications for both education and practice. It is important to assess change readiness and address the questions that came forward from staff and other professional leaders. Our process indicated a need for educational barriers to be removed and organizational understanding to be increased.