Abstract:
There is a problem in the United States regarding the percentage of bachelor-prepared nurses in the workforce. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the role of the employer in a more educated nursing workforce through the lens of connectivism. A mixed methods study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in the fall of 2021. Chief nursing officers (n = 89) from hospitals and long-term care facilities across one southeastern state were surveyed regarding the percentage of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)-prepared registered nurses (RNs) in their facilities. Fisher’s exact test (r x 2) was conducted to determine if there was a significant association between the reported percentage of BSN-prepared RNs and the plans, policies, and promotions of the employer, as well as the location and type of facility. Findings suggest that the employer does play a role in the education level of nurses. There was a significant association between the reported percentage of BSN-prepared RNs and the presence of plans and goals for the facility suggesting that the employers’ plans and goals increase the percentage of BSN-prepared RNs in a facility. There was also a significant association between the reported percentage of BSN-prepared RNs and the type of facility suggesting that there are more BSN-prepared RNs in the hospital setting than in the long-term care setting. An additional significant association was found related magnet status suggesting that maintaining or pursuing magnet status does increase the percentage of BSN-prepared RNs in a facility. Four main themes evolved during the coding of the qualitative data. The four main themes were: 1) the need for more nurses, 2) the need for more resources, 3) the need for partnerships, and 4) the ramifications of the pandemic. The implications for practice included raising awareness regarding the need for more BSN-prepared RNs, developing goals related to this initiative, and forming partnerships with key stakeholders.
