Increasing RN-BSN Enrollments: Facilitating Articulation through Curriculum Reform - Article Example

Article Assignment: Increasing RN-BSN Enrollments: Facilitating Articulation through Curriculum Reform Increasing RN-BSN Enrollments: Facilitating Articulation through Curriculum Reform Introduction The paper aims to summarize the article entitled Increasing RN-BSN Enrollments: Facilitating Articulation through Curriculum Reform written by Janine Spencer and published in The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing in July of 2008. The author acknowledged the importance of increasing nursing enrollments through the baccalaureate program through the promotion of either the mandated or state regulated articulation agreements that would create a more conducive environment for learning on a more standardized and structurally evaluated approach.

Summary Spencer (2008) initially established the rationale for examining the need to increase the number of enrollees in the baccalaureate nursing program as previous literatures have established a direct relationship between positive patient outcomes with higher levels of nursing education (p. 307). The advantages of a baccalaureate of science in nursing (BSN) degree were revealed as follows: provision of a more comprehensive and holistic approach to the delivery of health care, exposure to wider range of experiences, enables greater opportunities to adapt to the changing demands of the environment through offering courses in research, leadership, community service, and theory (Spencer, 2008, p. 308). Likewise, the author presented reasons for nurses which motivate them to complete a BSN course, to wit: “Expanding opportunities, raising potentials, and providing an “edge” have been prevailing themes in several studies that investigated the motivation of RNs to receive their BSN” (Spencer, 2008, p. 308). Various studies indicate that the barriers that prevent nurses to return and complete a BSN are “time constraints, cost, retaking clinical courses, irrelevant courses, and a lack of monetary incentive or recognition from employers (Delaney & Piscopo, 2004; Eckhardt, 2002; Lillibridge & Fox, 2005)” (Spencer, 2008, p. 309). As indicated by Spencer (2008), the most viable approach to assist in increasing enrollments in the BSN is through facilitating articulation agreements, either through mandated or state regulated means (p. 309). Another category of articulation agreements is the individual agreements which are negotiated on a school basis.

More advantages are eminent from mandated and statewide agreement that include elimination of redundancy, facilitating validation of transfer credits, and establishes time constraints to ensure completion at the most cost-effective means. In addition, the current trends in the BSN curriculum were delved into focusing on the consistency in courses offered in the curriculum, in terms of core, bridge, prelicensure, and innovative courses and applications, as the value of service learning (Spencer, 2008, pp.

310 – 311). Finally, an evaluation of the development in nurses’ curriculum was proffered to encompass relevant courseworks, assignments, individualized programs, the need for collaboration with health care agencies, and regular monitoring of outcomes through an assessment of the honed skills (Spencer, 2008, pp. 311 – 312). Conclusion The article focused in presenting articulation agreements, particularly mandated and statewide, as the most viable approach to increase BSN enrollment. Spencer (2008) was successful in proffering the advantages of the baccalaureate program and to address concerns on articulation agreements and weaknesses of the current curriculum in the nursing degree programs.

The solution to encourage promotion of articulation agreements is to reform nurses’ curriculum to conform to the changing demands of the health care environment. Reference Spencer, J. (2008). Increasing RN-BSN Enrollments: Facilitating Articulation through Curriculum Reform. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, Vol. 39, No.7, pp. 307 – 313.